Modern Tire Dealer - October 2023

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THE TOP 25 COMMERCIAL TIRE DEALERS IN THE U.S. DEALERS SHARE ALL-WEATHER TIRE SALES ADVICE THE FIRST STEP IS QUALIFYING THE CUSTOMER RETHINKING ALIGNMENT PRICING HOW ONE DEALERSHIP IS DOUBLING ITS RATES

LOOKING FOR AN UPSIDE Commercial dealers meet high inventory, other challenges head-on

October 2023 | Vol. 104, No.10 | $10 | www.moderntiredealer.com

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The Industry’s Leading Publication October 2023, Volume 104, Number 10

ADAS technology is presenting profit-boosting opportunities in alignments for Silver Lake Auto & Tire Centers.

Photo: Silver Lake Auto & Tire Centers

DEPARTMENTS 4 Editorial

Thumbs up, thumbs down Thoughts on government mandates, dealer programs and other things

46 It’s been a challenging year for some of the country’s largest commercial tire dealerships. Find out what they’re up against, starting on page 46.

Photo: Boulevard Tire Center

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

8 Industry News

Sun Auto Tire CEO discusses rapid growth Company has doubled its store count in two years

16 Numbers That Count Relevant statistics from an industry in constant motion

18 Your Marketplace

Trends show recovery leading into 2024 Consumers are opting for tier-one and tier-two tires

58 Business Insight

Why discounting isn’t your biggest gross profit problem Poor ticket building, wrong mix will hurt your business

60 Mergers and Acquisitions

Building wealth over time A roadmap for commercial tire dealers

62 Dealer Development

How to fix things that keep going wrong Do you have the basic building blocks in place?

64 EV Intelligence

How to deal with difficult customers Wisdom from Mother Teresa

Focus on Industry

66 Falken’s on the FAST track Investment in products, Fanatic program drives growth

70 Performing with Potenza Bridgestone invests in growing all-season UHP segment

74 TPMS Kia Soul – 2022

90 Ad index

Photo on the cover by Scott Galvan Modern Tire Dealer is a proud member of:

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F E AT U R E S 20 Closing the sale

A roundup of all-weather sales tips

32 Dealers share all-weather tire sales advice

The first step is qualifying the customer

36 People power

Digital marketing at CJ’s Tire & Automotive spotlights employees

40 Rethinking alignment pricing How one dealership is doubling its rates

Commercial Tire Dealer™

46 Looking for an upside Commercial dealers meet high inventory, other challenges head-on

50 Top 25 Commercial Tire Dealers in the U.S.

52 Retread market on track to outperform 2022

Stable supply has helped, says Bandag’s Roanhouse

53 Commercially Viable 54 AG Tire Talk: What tires

will electric tractors need?

Ag tiremakers weigh in on emerging requirements

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Editorial

Thumbs up, thumbs down THOUGHTS ON GOVERNMENT MANDATES, DEALER PROGRAMS AND OTHER THINGS By

Mike Manges

R

emember Siskel and Ebert, the movie critics from Chicago, Ill., who — on their TV show — would give films either a “thumbs up” or a “thumbs down?” (Sometimes they would give two thumbs down to a movie they really hated. Ouch!)

This month, I’m getting in on the act with my own proclamations regarding events and things happening in — or related to — our business.

My feeling is that you will probably agree with me, but if you don’t, that’s perfectly OK. (Siskel and Ebert were at their most entertaining when they failed to see eye-to-eye.) So without further ado, here we go!

Last month, Pirelli Tire North America Inc. launched its longawaited associate dealer program, the Pirelli Performance Program, that will offer “tailored support” to its members, according to Claudio Zanardo, president and CEO of Pirelli Tire North America. Many of MTD’s readers have been super-successful going it alone. I imagine it’s nice to have other options, too.

Thumbs down to the decline of state tire dealer associations. Remember when nearly every state had at least one — and in some cases, multiple — tire dealer associations? (Twenty-five years ago, here in the northeastern part of Ohio, where MTD is headquartered, two associations, the Cleveland Tire DealThumbs down to arbitrary, unrealistic In-person events are back, which is a good indicator of our industry’s health. government mandates. I will probably ers Association and the Northeast Ohio Photo: MTD be the last person on my block to buy an Tire Dealers & Retreaders Association, electric vehicle (EV). But I also underoperated concurrently, just 40 miles stand others feel differently and are embracing electrification. apart.) When I first joined MTD in 1997, there were 45 state and What I don’t understand, however, are the seemingly random, regional tire dealer associations across the U.S. By last year, that arbitrary EV mandates that certain state governments have number had dwindled to 23. Today, we’re down to fewer than 20. imposed. For example, both California and New Jersey have The decline has been driven by numerous factors, including mergers banned the sale of new gas-powered cars after the year 2035. with other aftermarket and retail groups. (Michael McGregor, Mandates in Rhode Island and Washington go into effect even in the April 2023 issue of MTD, wrote a powerful article about sooner. How practical are those deadlines? And what kind of this. It’s well worth another read.) On the plus side, many of the burden will these dictates place on vehicle owners? Don’t get state and regional tire dealer associations that remain offer more me wrong. I have no doubt that your dealership will see more perks and benefits than ever — all for a modest financial and time EVs over time. And we want to help you prepare for this. (That’s commitment on the part of their members. I’d love to see state why one of the industry’s foremost EV service experts, Craig and regional tire dealer associations continue to thrive, but they Van Batenburg, writes a monthly column for MTD.) But history will need your support for this to happen. shows that central planning rarely works and it’s difficult to artificially create markets that don’t yet exist. EVs are here to Thumbs up to getting together again. In-person tire industry stay, but we’re nowhere close to widespread EV adoption. events — including product launches, ride-and-drives, dealer meetings, workshops, seminars, conferences, plant tours, open Thumbs up to more options for tire dealers. Dealer program houses, press conferences and more — have returned with a groups are nothing new and in fact, date back to the infancy of vengeance. And it’s been a great thing to see. MTD Managing the tire industry, when tire dealers first recognized the advantages Editor Joy Kopcha, MTD Associate Editor Maddie Gehring of banding together. According to MTD research, there are and yours truly have been on the road quite a bit this year, nearly a dozen independent, national dealer groups; nearly 10 crisscrossing the continent and more recently, an entire ocean, independent, regional independent dealer groups; and nearly 25 to bring you the latest news. And now the 2023 editions of the tire manufacturer-operated dealer groups in the U.S. (Canada SEMA Show and AAPEX are right around the corner. We’re has quite a few, as well, and there are others we might not know planning to travel to Las Vegas, Nev., for both events and hope about.) And the field continues to expand. In August, wholesaleto see you there. In the meantime, here’s to racking up more distributor Turbo Wholesale Tires unveiled a new program, miles. May I have an aisle seat, please? ■ Ignite, that will include “dealer earnings, counterperson spiffs, a trip component” and other benefits, a Turbo spokesman told me.

If you have any questions or comments, please email me at mmanges@endeavorb2b.com.

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ModernTireDealer.com DIGITAL RESOURCES FOR THE INDEPENDENT TIRE DEALER

Stay tuned to MTD’s podcast!

The Modern Tire Dealer Show is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Audible and MTD’s website. Download it today!

Sign up for Modern Tire Dealer’s eNewsletters to receive the latest tire news and our most popular articles. Go to www.moderntiredealer.com/subscribe.

Tire Dealer of the Year is always tops Few things are certain these days, but at Modern Tire Dealer, we know our readers love to read about and study the winning ways of other independent tire dealers. And every year, we see that with the announcement of our Tire Dealer of the Year in the September issue of MTD. In 2023, Jon Langerak from Wonderland Tire Co. joined the exclusive ranks of MTD Tire Dealer of the Year Award winners. His story tops our most-read article list of the past month.

Meet Jon Langerak: MTD’s 2023 Tire Dealer of the Year Photos: Falken dealers get preview of new products Linglong enters North America with Geoff Doster as president U.S. AutoForce to acquire Pacific Tire Distributors Telle Tire makes another acquisition Sun CEO discusses company’s rapid growth Falken brand’s on the FAST track Steve Shannon Tire opens two locations Retail tire sellout turns positive Turbo unveils dealer program, marketing partnership

Check out MTD’s digital edition at the top of our website’s homepage.

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EDITORIAL Editor: Mike Manges, (330) 598-0368, mmanges@endeavorb2b.com Managing Editor: Joy Kopcha, (330) 598-0338, jkopcha@endeavorb2b.com Associate Editor: Madison Gehring, (330) 598-0308, mgehring@endeavorb2b.com

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Marianne Dyal mdyal@endeavorb2b.com (706) 344-1388 Sean Thornton sthornton@endeavorb2b.com (269) 499-0257 Kyle Shaw kshaw@endeavorb2b.com (651) 846-9490 Martha Severson mseverson@endeavorb2b.com (651) 846-9452 Chad Hjellming chjellming@endeavorb2b.com (651) 846-9463

Photo: Wonderland Tire Co.

DIGITAL EDITION

PUBLISHER Greg Smith gsmith@endeavorb2b.com (330) 598-0375

PRODUCTION Art Director: Erica Paquette Production Manager: Karen Runion, (330) 736-1291, krunion@endeavorb2b.com

Jon Langerak of Wonderland Tire Co. is MTD’s 2023 Tire Dealer of the Year Award recipient.

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MTD READER ADVISORY BOARD Rick Benton, Black’s Tire Service Inc. Jessica Palanjian Rankin, Grand Prix Performance John McCarthy Jr., McCarthy Tire Service Co. Inc. Jamie Ward, Tire Discounters Inc. CUSTOMER/SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE (877) 382-9187 moderntiredealer@omeda.com ENDEAVOR BUSINESS MEDIA, LLC CEO: Chris Ferrell President: June Griffin CFO: Mark Zadell COO: Patrick Rains CRO: Reggie Lawrence Chief Digital Officer: Jacquie Niemiec Chief Administrative and Legal Officer: Tracy Kane EVP Transportation: Kylie Hirko VP Vehicle Repair: Chris Messer VRG Editorial Director: Matthew Hudson

Modern Tire Dealer (USPS Permit 369170), (ISSN 0026-8496 print) is published monthly by Endeavor Business Media, LLC.1233 Janesville Ave., Fort Atkinson, WI 53538. Periodicals postage paid at Fort Atkinson, WI, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Modern Tire Dealer, PO Box 3257, Northbrook, IL 60065-3257. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Publisher reserves the right to reject non-qualified subscriptions. Subscription prices: U.S. ($81.25 per year). All subscriptions are payable in U.S. funds. Send subscription inquiries to Modern Tire Dealer, PO Box 3257, Northbrook, IL 600653257. Customer service can be reached toll-free at 877-382-9187 or at moderntiredealer@omeda.com for magazine subscription assistance or questions.

Printed in the USA. Copyright 2023 Endeavor Business Media, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopies, recordings, or any information storage or retrieval system without permission from the publisher. Endeavor Business Media, LLC does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any person or company for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions in the material herein, regardless of whether such errors result from negligence, accident, or any other cause whatsoever. The views and opinions in the articles herein are not to be taken as official expressions of the publishers, unless so stated. The publishers do not warrant either expressly or by implication, the factual accuracy of the articles herein, nor do they so warrant any views or opinions by the authors of said articles.

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Industry News

Sun Auto Tire CEO discusses rapid growth COMPANY HAS DOUBLED ITS STORE COUNT IN TWO YEARS

I

n this MTD exclusive, Tony Puckett, CEO of Sun Auto Tire & Service Inc. discusses the pace of Sun Auto Tire’s growth, the Tucson, Ariz.-based company’s brand strategy, the general state of tire demand and more.

MTD: How would you describe the pace of Sun’s growth and do you see that accelerating in the future?

Puckett: It’s a key part of our strategy. We’re coming up on the two-year anniversary of Leonard Green & Partners purchasing Sun from Greenbriar. (Editor’s note: Private equity firm Leonard Green & Partners became a majority investor in Sun Auto Tire & Service in September 2021. Puckett joined the company at the same time.)

Just in the last two years, we’ve gone from 200 stores to 430 stores and we’ve more than doubled our revenue. We also have doubled our team members and have more than 4,000 (employees). That growth took a real team effort. But we’re really pleased with where we are.

MTD: What do you look for when considering an acquisition?

Puckett: I get asked that frequently, as you might imagine. I think it really starts with looking for companies and owners who have developed businesses that we view as being high-quality, consistent and predictable — and ones that can benefit from scale.

In many cases, the owners stay with us. Plaza Tire is a great example of that.

(Editor’s note: Sun Auto Tire & Service acquired Cape Girardeau, Mo.-based Plaza Tire Service Inc. at the end of 2021.)

Mark and Scott Rhodes (Plaza Tire’s former owners) took a business their father started in the 1960s and grew it very aggressively and both have stayed with us. We

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“Just in the last two years, we’ve gone from 200 stores to 430 stores and we’ve more than doubled our revenue,” says Tony Puckett, CEO of Sun Auto Tire & Service Inc. Photo: Sun Auto Tire & Service Inc.

love that. High-quality businesses have high-quality people.

We also look at real estate and use those analytics to help with our decisions. But the actual performance of stores is most reflective of what we expect. We’re very much focused on the markets we’re in. We like the markets we’re in. And we certainly try to keep in contact with different owners in different markets. But it’s on their timelines.

There’s a lot of passion among owners who have businesses in this industry. But everyone is going to exit at some point.

We’re a potential exit strategy for them.

We want to be in their thought process and consideration set.

MTD: Most stores Sun has acquired still operate under their original names. What are the advantages of this approach?

Puckett: We have multiple brands across the country. Typically, we hope and desire to (leverage) the strength of local brands.

For example, TGK Automotive Specialists was a more-than-20-store chain that was

well-established in Minneapolis, Minn.

Their brand is stronger in that market than our brand would be. (Editor’s note: Sun Auto acquired TGK Automotive, which had 24 locations — most of them in Minnesota — last fall.) The owner had built a great business, so we’re not in any rush to change its name.

We’ve been able to acquire a lot of high-quality family businesses and we try to disrupt as few things as possible. Now, if we need to change some technology or processes, we’ll make that investment. That comes with the playbook we’ve built.

MTD: Do you think managing so many different brands will become cumbersome? Are there plans to rebrand stores under the Sun name?

Puckett: It’s something my leadership team and I talk about. If we choose to have fewer brands, we could, but it hasn’t been a high priority for us. There are brands in certain spaces that are very powerful brands.

MTD: Sun has entered quite a few new geographies in recent years. What markets have provided good and fast returns?

Puckett: I give a lot of credit to the folks who started GB Auto Service Inc. (Sun Auto Tire’s previous name). They started in the Southwest and the West Coast and I think that was a good decision. Those are high-growth markets, so it creates a natural tailwind for you. I think our foundation is strong, being in those markets.

Texas also has been a tremendous area for growth. It’s also highly competitive. In the Midwest, we’ve done really well and again, the credit goes to the Plaza Tire team. We’re just accelerating their growth.

MTD October 2023 9/26/23 12:14 PM

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Industry News

Bites Telle Tire acquires Car-Doc Telle Tire & Auto Centers has acquired the assets of Car-Doc Automotive & Tire, which is based in Maryland Heights, Mo. The Car-Doc location features 10 service bays and covers 11,000 square feet. CarDoc, which opened in 1989, was owned and operated by Mark Schenberg.

VW picks Nexen Roadian Nexen Tire America Inc.’s Roadian GTX will be original equipment on the latest Volkswagen Atlas in size 225/50R20.

The Roadian GTX is “a premium SUV and crossover all-season product that provides excellent braking performance, snow performance and wear performance, as well as a pleasant ride and optimal balance,” say Nexen officials.

Sun expands in Houston Tucson, Ariz.-based Sun Auto Tire & Service Inc. is in the midst of opening five new stores in the growing Houston, Texas, market and the company is pairing those openings with a giveaway of a 2023 Ford Bronco Sport. The company has 17 locations in the greater Houston area, including a pair of new stores, which have a combined 26 service bays.

Turbo unveils program Turbo Wholesale Tires has unveiled an associate dealer program, Ignite, which “will include dealer earnings, counterperson spiffs, a trip component and other unique benefits, like a dealer incentive for bolting on tires sold by Simple Tire,” Turbo CEO Phillip Kane has told MTD. The program will make its official debut during the 2023 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nev.

CMA hires Crandall, Decker Jim Crandall and Chad Decker have joined CMA LLC/Double Coin as regional sales managers. Crandall will manage the company’s Mississippi River/Mid-South region, while Decker will oversee its Western region.

GRI uses recycled carbon Global Rubber Industries Pvt. Ltd. (GRI) is working to increase use of recycled carbon black (RCB) for production of specialty tires. According to GRI officials, RCB appears to be a “promising alternative to traditional fossil-based virgin carbon black.”

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“Across our markets, we feel like we’ve been really fortunate to continue to grow our tire business,” says Puckett.

Photo: Sun Auto Tire & Service Inc.

It seems like everywhere we’ve landed, we’ve landed with a strong business and have been able to grow from there. So that strategy is working well.

MTD: Does Sun have distribution centers of its own? Who do you depend on for tire supply?

Puckett: With our Plaza Tire business in the Midwest, we have our own vertical, with our own trucks. It works really well, so we do have that capability. But that’s the only place we have it on that type of scale.

Today, American Tire Distributors is a major partner for us. They help get the tires we need, when we need them.

Certainly, we’re looking for more opportunities to optimize and become as efficient as possible.

MTD: Can you envision a time when Sun would expand into wholesaling?

Puckett: No particular predictions there. Our highest priority today is making sure our stores are healthy. We’ve been really fortunate to have really strong same-store sales year-over-year.

On the distribution side, it will ultimately be driven by financials. Does it make sense to expand the Plaza Tire model into other regions of the country?

We’d make that decision only if it would make us stronger in a new market by having our own vertical.

MTD: What’s your take on the current state of the retail tire market? What feedback are you receiving from your stores?

Puckett: We gather data and try to understand how the broader market is doing. If you think about what we’ve been through since COVID-19, it’s been a tremendous challenge. First, it was difficult to get tires. The supply chain had experienced tremendous disruption. Then all the tires we ordered came in, but at the same time, inflation took off and interest rates went through the roof.

There have been a tremendous number of influences, but our business is positive and we’re gaining momentum.

Across our markets, we feel like we’ve been really fortunate to continue to grow our tire business.

MTD: What do you consider to be Sun’s biggest opportunities and challenges in the near term?

Puckett: We saw mergers and acquisitions slow down in the fourth quarter of 2022 through the third quarter of 2023. There was the big announcement of TBC and Mavis, but there’s been less activity and that’s been true of us, as well.

Debt service cost is creating more challenges for the models to work, in terms of paying the multiples people were receiving in 2021. I’m not 100% sure how it’s going to shake out.

We s t a nd re ady to move on opportunities. We are never overly aggressive.

We’re looking for the right acquisition, rather than any acquisition.

— Mike Manges MTD October 2023 9/26/23 12:14 PM

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Industry News

Bites Autel invests in tech center Autel Energy, whose parent company is Autel Intelligent Technology Corp.

Ltd., has announced the opening of the Autel Energy Innovation Center, its new research and development campus in Anaheim, Calif.

Pre-Q marks 25 years in U.S. Pre-Q Galgo Corp. celebrated its 25th year of doing business in the U.S. and Canada last month during a meeting at its headquarters in Dallas, Texas. The company’s parent, Galgo, was founded in 1952 in Mexico City, Mexico. Pre-Q Galgo was established in 1998.

Nordman brand returns Nokian Tyres Inc. has relaunched the Nordman brand, which it originally introduced in 2004, with the recent introduction of the Nordman North 9 passenger tire and the Nordman North 9 SUV tires. Both are winter products and will be available for purchase by Nokian dealers in both the U.S. and Canada this fall.

U

.S. AutoForce LLC, a division of U.S. Venture, has acquired Pacific Tire Distributors, headquartered in Portland, Ore. The acquisition closed last month.

“This strategic opportunity to combine Pacific Tire Distributors and U.S. AutoForce will further enhance the products and services our customers experience in the Northwest,” says Pat Hietpas, president of U.S. U.S. AutoForce LLC now has nearly 70 distribution centers servicing 47 states.

AutoForce.

Pacific Tire Distributors was Photo: U.S. AutoForce LLC founded in 2004 and currently operates four distribution centers.

“In such a competitive landscape, this opportunity allows us to combine the Pacific Tire Distributors and the U.S. AutoForce extensive brand inventory and product offerings, while expanding our services in the Pacific Northwest,” continues Hietpas.

“It’s important to share the same approach with a family-owned company,” says Chris Roberg, president of Pacific Tire Distributors.

“The emphasis of a family organization will strengthen relationships with customers and suppliers and was the core driving force in the decision.”

With the completion of the acquisition, U.S. AutoForce now operates 68 distribution centers servicing 47 states.

Pirelli gains EV fitments Pirelli & Cie SpA says its Elect electric vehicle tires have gained “300 homologations” across the globe. “Demand for these products has skyrocketed,” with Pirelli Elect fitments increasing by more than 125%, according to Pirelli officials.

Pirelli recently introduced the Pirelli P Zero E, a high performance tire designed for EV applications.

California tire dealers meet The California Tire Dealers Association (CTDA) recently held back-to-back meetings for its members in Sacramento and Pleasonton, Calif. The meetings included presentations from CTDA vendors, legislative updates, networking opportunities and more. The group also met in Fresno, Calif., this past June.

Tire Discounters adds leaders Cincinnati, Ohio-based Tire Discounters Inc. has appointed Michael Sarrow to lead its marketing department and Jonathan Burns to the role of vice president, category management. Burns is new to Tire Discounters. Sarrow joined the rapdily growing Tire Discounters organization this past May as the dealership’s senior director of marketing.

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U.S. AutoForce acquires Pacific Tire Distributors

“B

VIP Tires conference emphasized culture, training

uilding on the best” was the theme of Auburn, Maine-based VIP Tires & Service’s 2023 Managers Conference.

The event, which was held last month at the Samoset Resort in Rockport, Maine, included employee networking, training, an awards ceremony and more.

During the meeting, VIP leaders updated managers on the company’s current and new product offerings, “in addition to touching on personal performance, training and certifications, teamwork and the VIP brand, as a whole,” according to VIP officials.

“The goal of the conference was to reaffirm VIP’s strong, healthy workplace culture and that goal was VIP Tires & Service’s recent achieved, with managers participating in a wide Managers Conference range of team building activities — from a raffle included employee networking, training, an and auction night to dinners, receptions and golf awards ceremony and more. outings. Awards were also handed out to exemplary Photo: VIP Tires & Service managers who serve as role models to their peers.”

In addition, VIP highlighted its longstanding partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation that dates back to 2008.

Since then, the dealership’s employees have donated more than $1 million to the organization, helping grant more than 140 wishes to children throughout New England.

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Industry News

Bites Black’s donates to charity Whiteville, N.C.-based Black’s Tire Service Inc. recently raised more than $200,000 via a charity golf tournament for the Boys and Girls Home of North Carolina. Over the years, the dealership has contributed nearly $2 million to the non-profit, which cares for abused and neglected children.

Hankook continues inquest Hankook Tire & Technology continues to investigate the cause of a fire that broke out at its Daejon, South Korea, plant in March 2023. “We continue to review all possible solutions to ensure prompt restoration and minimize the damage,” Hankook officials told MTD in an official statement.

Bridgestone goes high Bridgestone Corp. recently stated that it wants 40% of its replacement tires sold in North America to be 18 inches or larger.

John Kelsey dies John Kelsey, founder and longtime owner of Camdenton, Mo.-based Goodyear antique/classic tire distributor Kelsey Tire Inc., recently died at the age of 79. Kelsey was inducted into the Tire Industry Hall of Fame in 2009 for his contributions to the tire industry.

Atlantic Tire’s Blackman dies Douglas Anthony Blackman, the founder of Cary, N.C.-based Atlantic Tire & Service, recently died. He was 69 years old.

Under Blackman’s direction, Atlantic Tire & Service, which was established in 1999, has grown to encompass five locations throughout the Research Triangle area of North Carolina.

M

inoo Mehta has been named managing director, BKT USA Inc. and BKT Tires Inc., effective immediately.

“Minoo has played a crucial role in establishing BKT’s leading position in the USA market,” say BKT officials.

“Since joining BKT in 2014, he has aimed at creating a customer-oriented team. This team has led to BKT expanding its U.S. market share in both the agriculture and medium and large OTR sectors.”

Alan Eskow, vice president, will continue to manage BKT USA Inc.’s agricultural vertical and Chris Rhoades, vice president, will continue to look after the company’s medium and large OTR vertical.

P

Point S training a success The first graduates of a new, membersonly leadership training program open to Point S USA dealers have recorded an average, year-over-year increase in net profit of $165,000, say Point S officials.

14 2310MTD_08-15_News.indd 14

Since joining BKT in 2014, Mehta “has aimed at creating a customeroriented team,” according to BKT officials.

Photo: BKT

Pirelli launches associate dealer program

irelli Tire North America Inc. has launched its new associate dealer program, the Pirelli Performance Program, for independent tire retailers and their sales teams to earn rewards on eligible Pirelli tires sold at retail.

The launch of the new program kicked off in California and has the support of Turbo Wholesale Tires, American Tire Distributors Inc. and U.S. AutoForce LLC. “The Pirelli Performance Program offers independent premium tire dealers the opportunity to substantially grow their business,” says Claudio Zanardo, president and CEO of Pirelli Tire North America.

“This new dealer program complements our increased investment in the North American market and is additional proof to our commitment to the region. We want to approach this market with a customer-centric philosophy.

We have products that are specifically designed to meet the needs of North American customers and we are “This new dealer confident that this program will further contribute to program complements our growth and penetration in the market. our increased investment in the North “The Pirelli Performance Program will offer tailored American market,” support, focus on high-value creation, supporting the says Claudio Zanardo, associate retail network in optimizing dealers’ perforpresident and CEO mance and competence, with a complete training suite of Pirelli Tire North with in-depth education about Pirelli products and America. business,” says Zanardo.

Photo: MTD

Wheel Group names CFO Dean Rossi is The Wheel Group’s new chief financial officer. His appointment “marks an exciting new chapter for The Wheel Group,” says Wade Kawasaki, the company’s executive chairman.

Mehta named BKT USA managing director

M

McMahon’s Best-One Tire makes another buy

38

cMahon’s Best-One Tire has acquired Berger Auto Parts & Service Inc., a two-location dealership headquartered in Fort Wayne, Ind. The stores will operate as McMahon’s Best-One Tire & Auto Care locations.

“Dan Berger has built a successful business with Berger Auto and we are confident that we’ll be able to continue the legacy he started over 40 years ago,” says Kim McMahon, president of McMahon’s Best-One. This acquisition gives McMahon’s Best-One, which also is headquartered in Fort Wayne, seven full-service tire and automotive facilities, along with three commercial tire locations, a distribution center and retread plant, in northeast Indiana. ■ MTD October 2023 9/26/23 12:14 PM

2310MT

www.yokohama-oht.com

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NumbersThatCount

Relevant statistics from an industry in constant motion

25

Mpg for the Volvo V90 Cross Country, rated the most efficient non-EV midsize station wagon in 2023 Source: U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Photo: Volvo Car USA

54%

$152

Increase in average brake service ticket price from 2013 to 2023

Average hourly mechanical labor rate in new car dealerships for 2022 Source: National Automobile Dealers Association

Source: MTD Facts Issue archives

Photo: 1349412663 | Hispanolistic | Gettyimages.com

782,200

Number of people employed as automotive service technicians in the U.S. in 2022

Photo: MTD

72.6%

Percentage of freight in the U.S., by weight, that is moved by trucks.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Source: American Trucking Associations

Photo: MTD

Photo: PACCAR Inc.

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MTD October 2023 9/26/23 12:14 PM

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THE BANDIT CROSSOVER COMES IN 70+ SIZES SPECIFICALLY MADE FOR THESE POPULAR CUV & SUVs:

245/65R17 AS SHOWN

SUBARU OUTBACK TOYOTA RAV4 SUBARU CROSSTREK HONDA CR-V JEEP RENEGADE TRAILHAWK MAZDA CX-5 NISSAN ROGUE FORD ESCAPE JEEP CHEROKEE

NEW

^ RELENTLESS 55K MILEAGE WARRANTY ^ D-TECH SILICA COMPOUND ^ RELENTLESSLY DEEP TREAD ^ DUAL SIDEWALL DESIGN ^ 70+ RELENTLESS SIZES ^ RELENTLESSLY ALL-WEATHER

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DELINTETIRES.COM | #DELINTETIRES

9/26/23 12:14 PM 9/14/23 1:55 PM

Yo u r M a r ket p l a ce

Trends show recovery leading into 2024 By

T

CONSUMERS ARE OPTING FOR TIER-ONE AND TIER-TWO TIRES

John Healy

A

fter finally snapping seven straight months of negative trends in July, dealers indicate retail sellout trends turned slightly negative in August.

But the key word here is slightly, as dealers reported retail sales fell 0.1% year-overyear. That’s a far cry from the low- and mid-single digit declines from the spring of 2022. But it is a decline after the 3.5% increase recorded in July.

Regionally, the results show a mixed bag. The Northeast reported the strongest trends, with a gain of 1.3% year-overyear, while the Southwest saw the softest trends, down 0.6% year-over-year. The other regions were basically flat.

So while this is technically a decline, we wouldn’t call the state of retail “bad.”

Let’s call it “OK.” We continue to see trends that are marginally stronger than earlier in the year and we believe the consumer deferment cycle is pushing more consumers to pursue needed auto repairs.

We’re also lapping softer sellout trends from a year ago and that continues to work in favor of current trends. Despite the overall inflationary environment, which has been dragging down sales for much of 2023, there have been sequential improvements since April. Even with a slight step back in August, we would not be surprised to see sellout levels remain on the positive side of the ledger as we move forward, in part because of easier comparisons, but also due to a steady customer.

On the miles driven front, trends strengthened for a sixth consecutive month and that gives us the first occurrence of six straight months of positive figures since October 2021 to March 2022. And while miles driven remain elevated on a yearover-year basis, we also see that our miles driven index suggests total miles driven have now reached pre-pandemic levels. And given the recent strength of the trends, we expect this to eclipse pre-pandemic levels.

The early reports from September were adding to the positive momentum, with miles driven growing another 3% yearover-year. That follows gains of 1.4% in August and 2.9% in July.

Given this continued strength in our proprietary index, we believe the tire replacement industry is seeing a stronger backup, which supports a recovery in sellout trends as 2023 winds down and we enter 2024.

As for the prices of the raw materials needed to build a tire, in August the prices of several raw material inputs increased month-over-month. The increases were in the low-single digits, but when looking at year-to-year comparisons, the price trends are still declining.

We still believe these declines are a welcome sign both for tire manufacturers and for dealers. But industry operators continue to tell us that dealers expect manufacturers to lower prices as these raw material prices decline. Based on this, it appears wholesale tire sales could lag for

Snapshot of Dealer’s PLT Tire Volumes (Year-Over-Year Change) June22

July22

Aug22

Jun23

Jul23

Aug23

Average

Increase

29%

25%

33%

45%

70%

33%

41%

Flat

14%

25%

0%

22%

30%

44%

27%

Decline

57%

50%

67%

33%

0%

23%

32%

Total

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

SOURCE: NORTHCOAST RESEARCH ESTIMATES

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some time. It does appear that with raw material price hikes mostly behind us, there is the potential for price decreases and moderation on the horizon.

LOOKING AHEAD

Consumer demand for passenger and light truck replacement tires was again positive on a net basis in August, compared to August 2022. But there was a noticeable slip following July, when 70% of our dealer contacts saw positive demand trends. In August, it was just 11% of our dealer contacts.

But even with that, surveyed dealers were more positive than a year ago, when 67% reported negative demand. Only 22% of dealer contacts reported declining demand in August 2023.

Dealers still see the customer deferment cycle shifting towards the positive and they expect that trend may continue as we turn to fall and winter weather is on the horizon. If weather trends worsen, we may see further acceleration in the consumer replacement rate, especially coming off a historically mild winter a year ago.

As for the mix in tire tiers, uncertainty lingers. In August, tier-one brands were the most in-demand tires from consumers. In July, tier-one tires were in second place.

Dealers continue to note the deferment cycle has begun to shift, though tradedown remains prevalent. Tier-two tires were second in demand, with tier-three brands in the last place in August.

We were surprised to see tier-three tires take the bottom spot again in our monthly rankings. From our view, we see this as an indicator of how the current economy is affecting some consumers. ■

P

A

W P B

W n w f a h

T y t

John Healy is a managing director and research analyst with Northcoast Research Holdings LLC, based in Cleveland, Ohio. Healy covers a variety of subsectors of the automotive industry. If you would like to participate in the monthly dealer discussions, contact him at john.healy@northcoastresearch.com.

MTD October 2023 9/26/23 12:13 PM

2310MT

THE DEFINITION OF

PREMIUM

ACCESSIBILITY ILIT WE DON’T BELIEVE PREMIUM P R O D U C T S S H O U L D O N LY B E F O R T H E F E W. We hear you, and your customers. They need to maximize every dollar, and you want to make sure customers leave fully fitted with a complete set of new tires and add-ons. We’re here to help you make that happen.

Together, we can offer premium tires to all your customers, at a price that will leave them with money to polish their rims.

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9/26/23 12:13 PM 9/19/23 9:02 AM

All-weather tires Hankook’s Moonki Cho says if the fall and spring seasons feel more like a long winter, all-weather tires could be a good option for consumers.

Photo: Hankook Tire America Corp.

Closing the sale

A ROUNDUP OF ALL-WEATHER SALES TIPS By

Joy Kopcha

A

s the weather cools, some tire dealers are prepping for winter tire changeover season. But all-weather tires are growing contenders in many climates across the United States. And while the 3-Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMS) symbol on these tires doesn’t make them an automatic replacement for dedicated winter tires, all-weather tires do provide drivers with another option.

And with another option comes added confusion for consumers. To help clear the way, we asked tiremakers and marketers for their best all-weather tire selling tips.

Here’s a roundup of the responses from those who answered our query.

Brandon Stotsenburg, vice president of automotive, American Kenda Rubber Industrial Co. Ltd.: Typically, all-weather refers to tires that offer 3PMS certification, but are not designed as dedicated winter tires. For several years, the North American market has had light truck products, usually A/T designations, that offer this in both metric and LT designations. Only

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recently have premium brands been able to develop the balanced technologies to offer grand touring tires, which include higher speed ratings (H/V/W) and grand touring mileage expectations, plus balanced allseason capabilities for braking, handling,

When tire dealers are looking at all-weather tires, Kenda suggests they consider the tires’ aesthetics, plus other features that will serve customers all year long — not just during the winter driving season.

Photo: American Kenda Rubber Industrial Co. Ltd.

ride/noise and the 3PMS certification. The additional challenge for manufacturers is to offer retailers and consumers the aesthetics that resemble a grand touring tire, not a dedicated winter tire.

Kenda offers multiple tires that are designed to provide added benefits for all four seasons, including 3PMS certification. Our first tip to tire dealers is that four-season capability is a “plus” benefit for the consumer to provide cold weather and winter capability beyond the standard all-season tires that everyone knows. Kenda has found that consumers get confused by all-weather (being) the same as all-season. We recommend changing the discussion to the bonus of four-season capability to educate and allow differentiation for year-round driving. If necessary, the retailer can further explain the 3PMS certification and its advantages and differences when also stamped on a dedicated winter tire versus a four-season tire.

Our second tip for retailers is to confirm the tire performance of the brands that are offered as all-weather to assure MTD October 2023 9/26/23 12:13 PM

2310MT

When Confidence in the Rain Matters.

A little rain won’t delay your customers’ arrival when they switch to Bridgestone WeatherPeak tires. Help them stay in control with enhanced wet performance for better acceleration and grip on the road. A dependable tire matters. Your customers’ confidence in every turn, every season—that’s what really matters. © 2022 Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC

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9/26/23 12:13 PM 9/14/23 11:16 AM

All-weather tires that they meet the local market needs for a grand touring tire. Make sure that the aesthetics and performance will allow you to sell it year-round as a primary touring, H- or V-rated tire, which offers low noise, a good ride, the expected wear capability, strong wet/dry braking and handling, which will be embraced for its aesthetics by consumers. When a retailer asks the consumer what driving needs they have or concerns they have had with their current tires, they can focus the benefit conversation on the performance of the four-season tire that will meet their needs, without having to change over to dedicated winter tires in most markets.

have traditionally been restricted to dedicated winter tires. If harsh conditions are the norm, winter tires are still recommended, but for many drivers, all-weather tires provide a best-of-all-worlds solution.

Ian McKenney, senior product manager, Bridgestone Americas Inc.: Educate the consumer. Before recommending an all-weather tire, it’s important that tire dealers ask questions to understand each consumer’s individual performance needs. After assessing whether an all-weather tire is the best option for a specific customer, tire dealers should first educate the consumer as to why an all-weather tire is the better option over

Bridgestone officials say that understanding the all-weather tire’s role and value within the touring tire segment is critical.

Photo: Bridgestone Americas Inc.

All-weather tires can provide a “best-of-all-worlds solution” for drivers, while eliminating the need for seasonal changeovers, says Apollo’s Karl Jin.

Key to the all-weather tire sale is understanding specific customer needs, says Continental’s Philipp Schrader. That includes taking note of driving habits and weather conditions.

Photo: Apollo Tyres Ltd.

Photo: Continental Tire the Americas LLC

Karl Jin, divisional head of passenger and light truck tire products and pricing, Apollo Tyres Ltd.: For drivers in regions that don’t experience harsh winters with extended periods of snow, the expense and inconvenience of a seasonal changeover to winter tires can lead to them running tires that fall short when a storm hits or when they experience an unexpected period of exceptionally cold conditions.

Switching to an all-weather tire like the Vredestein Quatrac Pro gives drivers the dry and all-season performance that they are accustomed to, with the added safety of improved wet traction and stopping distances in winter conditions.

All-weather tires are a perfect solution that deliver every benefit of a traditional all-season tire, with additional winter performance advantages that

22 2310MTD_20-33_AllWeatherTiresMAN.indd 22

an all-season tire, based on their needs.

All-season tires are designed to perform in a wide variety of temperatures and conditions, but may prioritize attributes, such as wear and ride comfort, over snow performance. All-weather tires are also designed for year-round performance and are 3PMS-certified, meaning they offer more advanced snow performance than all-season tires. All-weather tires are suited for drivers in regions that experience all four seasons, including some snow. Positioning all-weather tire applications as the jack of all trades will help consumers who experience moderate winter climates understand the versatility of the tire in year-round weather. (The Bridgestone WeatherPeak tire delivers the comfort and quiet of a touring tire, with the added benefit of all-season readiness.)

Additionally, tire dealers can sell a set of all-weather tires by emphasizing the value of the tire itself, not the price. By positioning the all-weather application as a tire that delivers year-round performance without compromising wear life and offers a quiet, comfortable ride, consumers will understand the value of the tire. Highlighting the 3PMS rating on the all-weather tire is also important as it can replace the need to buy a separate set of dedicated winter tires in some regions, which can demonstrate even more value to the customer. This will help consumers recognize that the tire is an investment and not just a purchase.

Consumers typically don’t want to trade off safety, comfort and performance, so ensuring the customer understands the tire’s value will help mitigate any price objections they may have.

MTD October 2023 9/26/23 12:13 PM

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9/26/23 12:46 PM 9/26/23 11:36 AM

All-weather tires Understanding the all-weather tire’s role and value within the touring tire segment will allow tire dealers to effectively recommend an all-weather application to their target consumer.

Philipp Schrader, product manager for touring and U.S. winter tires, Continental Tire the Americas LLC: Understanding the specific customer needs is key, (as is) taking note of specific driving habits, typical weather conditions he or she encounters and performance needs. Once the customer’s concerns are fully uncovered, highlighting the features and benefits of all-weather tires that directly address these concerns — as well as emphasizing the tire’s performance in both summer and winter conditions and safety benefits, — will help close the deal. If the individual lives in an area with mild winters and/or regular rainfall, all-weather tires might be the perfect fit for them.

Clearly communicate the unique value proposition. Explaining that all-weather tires are touring tires with a 3PMS (certification) — which qualifies them for severe winter weather conditions, while also offering exceptional dry and wet traction and enhanced tread life — are all part of what makes all-weather tires such a great choice. It is also important to highlight the added convenience and cost savings versus all-season/summer and winter tires. Seasonal changes are no longer needed and only one set of tires needs to be purchased, which tends to be a major

If weighing the cost differences between all-season tires and all-weather tires, Michelin’s Coy Jones III says customers considering the all-weather tire option can think of the time and money they can save by avoiding seasonal changeovers.

Photo: Michelin North America Inc.

motivator for consumers. Explaining the economic, convenience and safety benefits of all-weather tires should convince your customer that this product is the right choice for him or her.

Louis Monico vice president of Canadian sales and marketing, Giti Tire (USA) Ltd.: It is important to explain the difference between all-weather and all-season tires to consumers. All-season tires are designed to perform well in both summer and winter, but they are not as effective as all-weather tires in harsh winter conditions. All-weather tires, on the other

hand, are designed to perform well in both summer and winter and they carry the 3PMS symbol, indicating they meet severe snow service requirements.

It’s important to emphasize the importance of considering the driving conditions in their area. If the consumer lives in an area with harsh winter conditions, all-weather tires may be a better option. If they live in an area with mild winters, allseason tires may be sufficient. You must highlight the fact that all-weather tires are a good compromise between winter and all-season tires. They provide better traction in winter conditions than allseason tires, but they are not as effective as winter tires. Explain that all-season tires typically last longer than all-weather tires, but they may not provide the same level of performance in winter conditions.

Encourage the consumer to check tire ratings for models that excel in the areas that matter most to them, such as braking, handling, ride comfort and noise.

Andrew Lau, product marketing manager, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.: Allweather tires — all-season tires that are designated with the 3PMS symbol — are better-suited for adverse weather conditions than a standard all-season tire and can be used year-round.

Goodyear offers all-weather tires under both the Goodyear and Cooper brands.

The lineup includes the Cooper Discoverer EnduraMax. Photo: Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.

24 2310MTD_20-33_AllWeatherTiresMAN.indd 24

Moonki Cho, product manager, Hankook Tire America Corp.: Closing a sale, especially for all-weather tires, can be challenging without correctly qualifying the customer and explaining the value that MTD October 2023 9/26/23 12:13 PM

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All-weather tires an all-weather tire provides. Dealers should think of an all-weather tire as an all-season tire with enhanced winter capabilities. For the customers who live in areas where fall and spring seem more like a long winter, all-weather tires could be a great option.

Still, for truly challenging winter driving and heavy snow, a winter tire can’t be beaten. But as an alternative, all-weather tires provide year-round traction with extra confidence while driving on snowy roads, saving drivers the hassle of changing out and storing sets of tires for a season.

Coy Jones III, B2B customer marketing manager, Michelin North America, Inc.: The key to determining which tire to equip for all-weather considerations is the possibility of infrequent winter weather. Over the long run, the customer can eliminate the inconvenience of having to switch between an all-season/summer tire to a winter tire when the infrequent cold weather occurs. Ultimately, this investment leads to saving the customer time and money by having the correct tire

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application for their needs. This approach leads to educating the buyer on the balance provided by an all-weather pattern, from the durability to handle inclement weather or winter storms to long family vacations during the summer months. An all-season tire or summer tire may be less

Tire rotations are always important, but Nokian says it’s especially critical with all-weather tires given their unique properties.

Photo: Nokian Tyres Inc.

expensive, with slightly better dry grip, and a winter tire would provide an enhancement to the traction in snow/ice, but the all-weather (tire) provides that delicate balance to handle the year-round needs in the majority of geographies, without the need to purchase and mount an extra set of tires each year.

Steve Bourassa, director of products for North America, Nokian Tyres Inc.: Allweather tires should serve as an upgrade for drivers who prefer a year-round solution, not a downgrade from dedicated winter tires. In sustained winter conditions, nothing is safer than a pure winter tire. For that reason, dealers shouldn’t replace a winter sale with an all-weather sale. However, all-weather tires represent a good upgrade from all-season tires for drivers who visit winter or have winter weather visit them. It pays to differentiate all-weather tires in their own segment — better than all-season tires in snow, but not a sufficient replacement for winter tires in sustained, severe winter weather.

9/11/23 2:01 PM

MTD October 2023 9/26/23 12:13 PM

2310MT

EXPERIENCE THE WINTER Designed for the harshest winter conditions, GT Radial studdable winter tires are built for the snow. Providing excellent grip and handling in extreme conditions, the IcePro series gets you there. Experience the Performance.

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WWW. GTRADIAL.COM 2310MTD_20-33_AllWeatherTiresMAN.indd 27 2310MTD_GitiTire.indd 1

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All-weather tires Sentury Tire USA says all-weather indicators are important for performance, but so are other features, which is why tire dealers should look at the full package when recommending options.

Photo: Sentury Tire USA

Regular rotations are critical to extending the life of all-weather tires. While it’s important to rotate any tire, it’s especially valuable for all-weather tires, given their unique properties. They are versatile tires whose performance will be more effective — for longer — with regular love and maintenance.

Nick Gutierrez, sales director, Sentury Tire USA: Train your sales team to inform customers of the benefits of purchasing a

tire with a Nano-Grade silica compound and the 3PMS certification.

Today drivers can attain performance beyond 3PMS certification by purchasing tires that also have a NanoSilica compound, in addition to the 3PMS. When you combine t hese t wo features, drivers can rest assured that they have maximized performance, stability, and safety in the snow. Until the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association identifies a higher certification, combining these two features is the best recommendation for drivers. Point customers to look for all-weather engineering with continuous zigzag-type grooves on the shoulders and tread, which improve a tire’s ability to evacuate rain, mud and snow — and its overall handling ability in snowy conditions.

Tsuyoshi “TJ” Johnson, Falken brand passenger tire product manager, Sumitomo Rubber North America Inc.: Our first tip to help dealers get more customers on all-weather tires is to focus on convenience.

Most North American drivers utilize the same set of tires year-round. We believe this is largely due to convenience and value.

Consumers value the time and money saved by using the same set of tires year-round and that’s unlikely to change. In a society that’s become so accustomed to convenience, it’s difficult to persuade folks to change their tendencies to do something less convenient. Fortunately, all-weather tires can offer drivers a safer alternative to driving in all-season conditions, without compromising convenience.

For folks living in regions that experience harsh winter conditions (i.e. the Northeast and Mountain states), a tire capable of performing throughout the winter months is critical. All-weather tires not only offer an elevated level of snow traction, but also a compound specially formulated to offer good dry and wet traction in freezing

w

F N L

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9/19/23 8:34 AM

MTD October 2023 9/26/23 12:13 PM

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All-weather tires temperatures. Having the option to equip their vehicles with one set of all-weather tires year-round can save time and money.

Meanwhile, there’s another customer segment who may not require 3PMS-rated tires daily, but could benefit from having them for other reasons. One example is the Southern California native who spends weekends snowboarding at local mountains. All-weather tires can save them from having to purchase and utilize tire chains after a snowstorm. Another example is someone living in a mild-weather state who regularly makes the trek to a northern state.

This could be a student who’s attending a university up north and regularly drives home (down south) during the holidays. It would be comforting to know the student is on a capable tire that can power through the wintry conditions and still perform in mild conditions.

customer that purchasing all-weather tires may save them from needing to purchase snow tires and eliminate the need to alternate tires between seasons. Tire dealers, however, need to ensure the climate in which the customer resides is suitable for all-weather tires. Although the all-weather segment is growing, driving conditions may dictate that a snow tire is best.

Sonny McDonald, senior national training manager, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp.: Anytime we make a tire sale, we need to ask the customer some basic qualifying questions to determine which tire will provide the best overall performance for their needs. “What is the worst driving condition you will face: rain, sand, mud, gravel, snow, ice, etc.?” If they answer

Based on touring tire market data from the first half of 2023, Sumitomo Rubber North America Inc. says it expects to see about a 20% year-over-year increase in all-weather tire usage in North America.

Photo: Sumitomo Rubber North America Inc.

When drivers indicate they expect to face snow or ice and don’t drive on dedicated winter tires, Toyo’s Sonny McDonald says that’s the perfect opening to talk about all-weather tires. He thinks of their features as “traction-on- demand.”

Photo: Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp.

Our second tip to help tire dealers sell more all-weather tires is to ensure customers know that all-weather is already a proven new segment in the market, showing signs of increased usage amongst drivers throughout North America. According to touring tire market data from the first half of 2023, we can expect an increase of roughly 20% year-over-year of consumers converting to all-weather tires, lending to (greater) consumer acceptance of the all-weather category in our market.

Kyle Sanders, director of product planning and development, TBC Brands LLC: Tire dealers can share with their

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Joaquin Gonzalez Jr., president, Tire Group International LLC: Understand the customer’s specific needs. By asking the right questions and actively listening, you can get a clear understanding of what the customer is looking for in all-weather tires. Inquire about their driving habits, the usual weather conditions they encounter and any specific requirements they might have. This information will allow you to recommend the most suitable allweather tires from your inventory, making the customer feel heard and understood.

When presenting all-weather tires to the customer, focus on emphasizing the benefits and features that make them a great choice. Discuss the tire’s performance in different weather conditions, its durability and longevity, any special traction or grip technology it offers and how it can enhance the customer’s driving experience. Providing clear and compelling information will give the customer confidence in their purchase decision.

snow or ice, the next question should be: “Do you run a separate set of winter tires?” If the customer says no, that is the perfect intro to discuss the features and benefits of having an all-weather tire. I call it “traction-on-demand.”

Kevin Nguyen, manager of product planning, Yokohama Tire Corp.: If a customer lives in an area with mild winters, an allweather tire can help save them money by not having to purchase dedicated winter tires. They will notice the savings by not having to purchase a second set of tires just for winter, not having to pay for storage for the second set of tires when not in use and not having to pay installation costs to swap the tires back and forth.

Mileage warranties and comfort are not sacrificed. All-weather tires have comparable mileage warranties and provide the same on-road comfort as an all-season tire, but with additional winter performance. ■ MTD October 2023 9/26/23 12:13 PM

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All-weather tires

Jason Lowing, general manager at Schneider Tire Outlet Inc. in Marne, Mich. says that 10% of his dealership’s passenger tire sales are all-weather tires and he predicts that number will grow.

Photo: Schneider Tire Outlet Inc.

Dealers share all-weather tire sales advice THE FIRST STEP IS QUALIFYING THE CUSTOMER By

Madison Gehring

T

he all-weather tire segment has been growing over the last few years, but selling these products to consumers may still take more of an effort compared to all-season tires.

In this MTD exclusive, Jason Lowing, general manager at Schneider Tire Outlet Inc., in Marne, Mich., and Robert Robbins, store manager at the Gills Point S Tire & Auto Service’s West Lebanon, N.H., location, discuss demand for all-weather tires in their markets and how to educate consumers about all-weather tires.

He also reports that he is seeing a steady rise in all-weather tire sales.

Robbins named the Nokian WR G4 as his store’s best-selling all-weather tire.

“We see probably 90% of our allweather tire sales come from this tire,” says Robbins, who explains that customers like the tire’s soft rubber compound and overall versatility.

“It stays flexible in the cold temperatures, works well on the snow and ice and (is) not super-loud because of that soft compound.”

THE ALL-WEATHER BENEFIT

A GROWING SEGMENT

According to Lowing, all-weather tires are not a new segment. He says Schneider Tire Outlet, as a whole, has been selling all-weather tires for the past 20 years.

“To not have the full-on winter tire or full-on all-season tire that you’d have to store away makes a lot of sense, especially with the added benefits the all-weather tire gives you,” including enhanced safety and traction, he notes.

Robbins says his dealership has been open for about six years and has sold allweather tires that whole time.

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Lowing says that 10% of Schneider Tire Outlet’s passenger tire sales are allweather tires and he predicts that number is only going to grow.

“As technology gets better, these allweather tires are becoming quieter, more comfortable and their traction is getting even better,” says Lowing.

He explains that “people in Michigan are buying snow tires before most people.

They don’t want to store two sets of tires year-round, so this is the perfect solution for them.”

Robbins agrees that the all-weather segment will continue to grow and he believes customer education will be a big part of that.

“Also, we seem to be getting less snow every year that goes by. We’re not getting the snowstorms that we used to get, (which) drives people to only want to run one set of tires year-round.”

QUALIFYING THE CUSTOMER

Lowing and Robbins agree that customers are not as aware of all-weather tires as they are of all-season tires. This causes Lowing and Robbins — plus their teams — to put a little bit more effort into the all-weather tire sale.

“You do have to sell all-weather tires more because customers just aren’t aware,” says Lowing.

“They know what all-season tires are, but they’re not aware of all-weather tires.

Once you take the time to explain the benefits and all the features, it’s not a hard sale. It just takes a little bit of extra work up front.”

Robbins says a lot of his customers come in asking for all-season tires.

MTD October 2023 9/26/23 12:13 PM

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Lowing says if safety matters the most to a customer, he will recommend an all-weather tire.

Photo: Schneider Tire Outlet Inc.

He and his team always conduct a customer interview to determine the best product for that buyer’s vehicle. Robbins or one of his employees also will walk out to the vehicle to see what customers

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are currently driving on. Then they ask specific questions.

“For example, we ask if they usually run winter tires or not,” explains Robbins.

“If (customers) do, we ask if they like to run them late into the season or if they like to get them off early in the season.

“All that stuff comes into play when deciding if they’re going to be a good allweather tire candidate or not.”

Robbins finishes by saying he takes the customer back inside to show them all-weather tires versus all-season tires and lets the customer make the decision.

Lowing has a similar procedure in evaluating customers for all-weather tires.

“I start out by asking the customer what the most important thing to them is when it comes to tires,” he says.

“Is it longevity? A smooth, quiet ride?

Traction? All-weather tires are the safest tires we sell. So if a customer says that traction or safety are the biggest concerns for them, then we recommend all-weather tires.”

He emphasizes that all-weather tires are for “anyone who wants peace of mind,

whether that be the soccer mom with a van full of kids or the 16-year-old who just got their license and is still figuring out the rules of the road.”

Both Lowing and Robbins say the fourth quarter of the year is when allweather tire sales really start to ramp up.

Whenever customers see snow, they usually become more aware of what they are driving on, explains Lowing, who also says that due to the boom in SUV and crossover vehicle sales, customers want a tire that can “withstand pushing (vehicles) to the limits.”

Long-term, the increase in all-weather tire sales may have an impact on winter tire sales, according to Lowing.

“Summer-only tires won’t get affected since they are more for performance vehicles,” he says.

“However, snow tires, I think, will take a small hit. It’s hard to gauge season-toseason weather and how much snow we will get for (us) to correctly order inventory for snow tires. Plus, there seems to be a scaling back on manufacturers making snow-only tires.” ■

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Digital marketing

People power

DIGITAL MARKETING AT CJ’S TIRE & AUTOMOTIVE SPOTLIGHTS EMPLOYEES By

Madison Gehring

C

J’s Tire & Automotive, a retail and wholesale tire dealership headquartered in Birdsboro, Pa., has its digital marketing strategy down.

In its digital marketing, CJ’s Tire & Automotive focuses on its employees, rather than the products it sells, says Leanne Bolger, director of marketing for the 17-location company.

Bolger set the dealership’s digital marketing strategy after diving into traditional marketing first.

TRADITIONAL TO DIGITAL

Bolger has been with CJ’s Tire & Automotive for around 13 years in many roles and says she learned marketing techniques from Bill Bainbridge, one of the tire industry’s most accomplished marketers.

“I had the privilege of learning under Bill and I was really lucky to learn from him,” says Bolger. (Bainbridge recently retired from CJ’s Tire & Automotive.)

“When we got into digital media, he kind of told me I would have to take the reins.”

Bolger says once she started exploring the digital marketing world, she found that “digital media is really unique for the tire business.”

CJ’s Tire & Automotive started using social media around 2018. At the time, the dealership’s social media posts focused on whatever was on sale at the company.

Bolger saw the opportunity to do more.

‘YOU NEED TO ENGAGE’

Bolger says CJ’s Tire & Automotive is on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook and has a YouTube channel that the dealership will soon revamp.

She says that each platform requires a different strategy.

But the overall theme across the platforms is engagement.

“What I’ve found is that we have to engage on social media. People don’t want to be sold (products) on social media.”

Bolger says the dealership’s strategy is to stay away from ad campaigns and instead focus more on the people who work there.

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CJ’s Tire & Automotive, a retail and wholesale tire dealership headquartered in Birdsboro, Pa., started its digital marketing journey by first looking at traditional marketing strategies and what could be improved.

Photo: CJ’s Tire & Automotive

“We’ve been really successful with sharing what we do in our community with CJ’s Cares,” which is a charitable effort the dealership funds, “as well as highlighting what’s going on behind-the-scenes.”

The dealership’s social media plan features a weekly segment called Warehouse Wednesdays, where Bolger will post Instagram reels of what is going on in the company’s warehouses.

To come up with inspiration for content, Bolger says she is constantly researching.

“One thing I’ve always done is to see what other tire dealers are doing.” she says.

Bolger also looks at what companies in other industries are doing.

“It shows that not only are we aware of what is happening outside our industry, but we care,” she says.

One non-employee-related thing CJ’s Tire & Automotive does promote on its social media platforms is finance options for cash-strapped customers.

The company partners with different firms like Affirm and Koalafi to promote financing options.

“Whenever we incorporate financing, they always end up as our biggest campaigns,” she says.

“Having financial options available for customers is really important because times are going to get tough and being able to help consumers budget their money for services and tires” will be crucial.

She also says she will sit in CJ’s Tire & Automotive’s showrooms and pick up on customer trends.

And she will check with personnel at the sales counter to see if there are any recurring questions that customers are asking. Both help generate content ideas.

WHY DIGITAL IS IMPORTANT

Bolger says digital marketing is beneficial for a number of reasons. “It’s costeffective by being more affordable than traditional marketing and it reaches a lot more people,” she says. “Plus, you can target your content.”

For example, CJ’s Tire & Automotive can tailor its content based on age groups.

Bolger splits consumers into three age groups: 28 to 34, 35 to 44 and 45 to 60.

“Each one of these segments, we market to differently,” she says. “We know our best customers are in the 35- to 50-year range, so we market to MTD October 2023 9/26/23 12:13 PM

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Digital marketing SEO and e-commerce The easier, the better, says Bolger “Another big way we digitally market is through search engine optimization (SEO) and we are currently building on that,” says Leanne Bolger, director of marketing for CJ’s Tire & Automotive, which is based in Birdsboro, Pa. SEO is important for digital marketing because “if you spend all (your) money on digital marketing and then the consumer wants to look up your dealership, but can’t find your website online, it was all a waste.”

Tire dealerships also should be “as easy as possible to do business with online,” she says.

CJ’s Tire & Automotive, which has 17 brick-and-mortar locations, prides itself on having a “transparent” e-commerce portal for consumers.

With some e-commerce sites, consumers have to add tires to their online cart in order to get the full price of the transaction because some dealerships will then add balancing and installation costs when the final ticket is generated and shared, says Bolger.

CJ’s Tire & Automotive’s e-commerce portal gives consumers the “out-the-door price” up front, before they add items to their cart.

“This makes us easy to do business with online and it really helps,” says Bolger, who says the dealership’s online sales are growing.

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them differently than the younger generation because we know the younger generation is not as brand-loyal.”

Another benefit of digital marketing is the ability to measure it.

“Traditional marketing really has no way of measuring how well it is doing,” she says. “You can’t measure the success of direct mail or radio.”

Being able to measure digital marketing allows Bolger to track the results of the campaigns she puts out to see what’s working and what isn’t working.

‘IT TAKES TIME’

When it comes to digital marketing, Bolger says you must first know your audience.

“You can’t mass-market when you do digital marketing. You have to have different messages for different audiences.”

And don’t expect radical changes overnight. “It takes time. When I first started doing digital, I thought to myself, ‘OK, this isn’t working for us.’ But it just takes time and consistency to see the results of digital marketing.” ■

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Alignments

In the last year, Silver Lake Auto & Tire Centers has changed its strategy around alignment pricing. With so many vehicle systems needing calibrations today, the old, one-price-fits-all model wasn’t fair for customers or the business, says coowner Dan Garlock.

Photo: Silver Lake Auto & Tire Centers

Rethinking alignment pricing HOW ONE DEALERSHIP IS DOUBLING ITS RATES By

Joy Kopcha

A

fter 50 years in business, Silver Lake Auto & Tire Centers is finding ways to reinvent itself. The second-generation tire dealership just opened its fifth store in southeast Wisconsin and as part of its growth strategy, the company is putting a new spin on some of its foundational services.

Chief among them: alignments.

Dan Garlock and his brother, Darren, own and operate the business their father started as a gas station in 1973. Eventually, their dad shifted gears from selling fuel to running a shop offering full automotive service, but it wasn’t until the 1990s that Silver Lake Auto & Tire Centers invested in its first alignment rack. Until then, the company had contracted its alignments to another local business.

Even with 30 years of alignment experience, the Garlocks sensed there was more opportunity.

Dan says it was a move to “really making sure that we’re looking holistically at the alignment process and making sure that we’re covering everything.

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“Each car gets triaged to what it needs for an alignment.”

Matt Oldenburg, Silver Lake Auto & Tire Centers’ director of operations, is credited for pushing this new way of thinking.

“The way we used to approach alignments is we had three or four different prices for alignments and every vehicle had to fall into one of those buckets,” says Oldenburg.

“And that just didn’t work. It wasn’t fair to our customers. And it wasn’t fair for us. We were either undercharging or overcharging and at the end of the day, somebody wasn’t being charged appropriately or receiving the right amount of payment for a service.”

Now Silver Lake Auto & Tire Centers offers a complementary alignment check.

“We take the measurements on the vehicle and based off what (technicians) find there, we can give (the customer) an accurate price for what adjustments need to be made.

“No two vehicles are the same,” he says, noting two 2018 Toyota Tundra pickups could need different alignments based on their features. “So why should the truck that needs just the toe adjust-

ments get charged the same price for the truck that needs the toe and (a) camera?

We try to make it individual to the vehicle.

It’s more fair for our customers. It’s more fair for our technicians.

“There’s a lot more things that fall into aligning vehicles these days than there were five to 10 years ago. You have the physical alignment, where you set the mechanical geometry of the vehicle. On a lot of cars these days there’s the electronic alignment, where you have all of these driver assist modules that need to be recalibrated. We refer to that as the electrical alignment and that’s a whole other side of things.”

Seeing more of those electrical systems with alignment needs is what spurred Oldenburg to suggest the new approach.

“That’s where we hit pause and said we need to reevaluate how we’re approaching this and really treat each car with a personal touch, from an alignment standpoint.”

Dan says on top of the new opportunities in alignments, changing the tire dealership’s strategy also required technicians to change their habits.

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Alignments “I think package pricing was also creating some bad habits in our organization from our technical team,” he says. He thinks

Dan Garlock says three out of four alignments Silver Lake Auto & Tire Centers performs are traditional. But a quarter of alignments now involve some kind of ADAS calibration.

Photo: Silver Lake Auto & Tire Centers

some technicians weren’t looking as deeply into some situations to figure out what a vehicle needed and as a result, missed problems that needed addressing.

“This helped kind of pump the brakes on that and slow that down, so we can make sure we’re not creating bad habits in the industry and (ensure) we’re being more intentional about how we’re fixing cars.”

Dan says he knows there’s pressure to provide customers with speedy service.

“I know in a lot of volume scenarios, it’s about getting the car back in the customer’s hands as quick as possible.

Missing one calibration from one of the cameras or one of the radars or missing a steering angle can result in comebacks (and) can result in customer satisfaction issues. And it can start tarnishing the reputation of our brand and the industry.

“It is important for us to just slow down. As this market is changing quickly, we needed to put some stopgaps in place to make sure we don’t keep facilitating bad habits and miss (proper) alignments.”

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Adjusting the mindset of Silver Lake Auto & Tire Centers’ technicians has been a key component to the company changing its alignment offerings and servicing the advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) on modern vehicles. But Oldenburg says it wasn’t a tough sell.

“Our technicians have a lot of pride in who they are, their craft and who they work for. One of our core values is professionalism and another one of our core values is integrity. So we have a lot of conversations throughout the day about our core values and the behaviors that funnel into those.

“Technicians understand why customers bring their cars to Silver Lake Auto Centers. It’s because they trust us to be the professionals and to operate with integrity. When the technicians buy into that, slowing down to ensure we make sure something like an alignment is done properly and that we don’t really leave any stone unturned,” is natural, Oldenburg says.

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Alignments “The technicians get rewarded with not just a sense of pride in the way they operate, but it’s also beneficial for the technician to find those calibrations because they’re getting more bill time on the alignment, so it’s a win-win for everybody. We’re doing right by the customer.

We’re operating under a professional mindset with integrity at the forefront. And at the end of the day, the customer rewards us with repeat business.”

All of that adds up to more profitability for the tire dealership, says Dan. “Because of these vehicles needing more time and technical acumen brought to the table, there’s a revenue solution there for the organization that comes along with that, too. So as a result of digging in deep on this, we grew some revenue on our alignments.”

Oldenburg remembers his days as a technician when the four pricing tiers for alignments spanned from $99 for a twowheel alignment up to $169 for service on European models. He says there are still alignments that fall into that $100 to

$200 range, but for in-depth calibrations, “to perform them for a price point under $150 isn’t realistic.”

Dan says alignments on some European vehicles are now “running north of $500. We’re seeing alignment prices doubling — or two-to-two-and-a-half times — in a lot of cases, where there’s additional services that need to be done on top of the mechanical alignment.”

Oldenburg says the conversations at the front sales counter are especially important.

“There’s actually a lot more education involved on the front counter between the service advisor and the customer than there was with the technicians,” he says.

Customers have grown accustomed to that basic menu of alignment options and they might remember that their last alignment came with a $120 charge. Silver Lake Auto & Tire Centers explains to customers that this price covered the “mechanical alignment to get the geometry of the vehicle set.” But the extra charge — whether it’s $100 or more — covers the electronic alignment to calibrate the additional, newer systems.

Oldenburg says part of the message is that “it’s really for the safety of (the consumer) and to make sure that this vehicle operates the way that it’s designed.

It’s important that those other systems are calibrated and aligned, along with the mechanical geometry of the vehicle.

“We really try to educate (customers) on where that difference is coming from” and why it’s important.

Dan thinks this is not all that different from other transitions he’s seen in the tire industry over the years. He likens it to the proliferation of low-profile tires and the surprise some customers had when it came time to replace them.

“They were used to paying a certain price point and they just had to transition to, ‘I like the way those low-profile tires look and handle and I guess they are more expensive.’ It’s the same type of thing that’s going on with alignments.”

Dan says drivers like the assistance they receive from ADAS. And when it comes to service, tire dealers are “having to retrain them and bring (ADAS) to top of mind.” ■

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Commerci al T ire De aler™

LOOKING FOR AN UPSIDE

COMMERCIAL DEALERS MEET HIGH INVENTORY, OTHER CHALLENGES HEAD-ON By

Madison Gehring

T

he commercial tire market is down this year, but the country’s biggest commercial tire dealers are trying to work their way out of the slump as they move into 2024.

“We feel that everyone’s business is down right now, compared to the boom we all experienced in 2021 and 2022,” says John McCarthy Jr., president of Wilkes-Barre, Pa.-based McCarthy Tire Service Co. Inc. McCarthy feels that 2023 has been a “return to normal.”

He believes that fleet customers are spending less and being more cautious with their money.

Unusually high inventory levels also have been a challenge for commercial truck tire dealers this year.

To adjust, McCarthy says his company has reduced its purchases and cleaned up brand offerings, while offering price support and concessions.

Brian Chase, president of Frederick, Md.-based Rice Tire Co., is also figuring out how to combat high inventory levels.

“The biggest struggle is that we are working through (our) inventory at the old price, when newer inventory is coming in at a new price. So we’ve held back a little bit of money from last year.

“Whenever there are inventory increases, we adjust it up and we actually held some money back to put against inventory in this scenario, which we knew was probably going to happen.”

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Deland, Fla.-based Boulevard Tire Center is focusing on overstock items within the company’s inventory to keep levels evened out.

Photo: Boulevard Tire Center

Rice Tire also is working with suppliers “to see where they can help us on price, so we can stay more competitive and move inventory.”

Another trend has been the proliferation of brands and products, including tires sold at lower price points.

“Everyone has more frequent products coming in,” says John Ziegler Jr., vice president of Ziegler Tire & Supply Co., which is headquartered in Massillon, Ohio. “Fleets have more options.”

CAUTIOUS SPENDING

Chase says more fleets than ever before are buying less-expensive tires.

“In the last few months, fleets have been buying just what they need.

“They’re kind of buying last-minute and sometimes buying on the lowerpriced side, as opposed to paying for tires that cost more.

“Our customers are just trying to control what they can control and a lot of that comes down to what they buy.”

“Our units are up, but our sales have leveled off or are down because there’s been that migration to tier-three and tier-four purchases,” says Ziegler.

He believes truck tire manufacturers

will have to be “more aggressive” with their pricing to “recapture that tier-one and tier-two business.”

Officials from Deland, Fla.-based Boulevard Tire Center say they are focusing on over-stock items within their inventory to keep levels even.

Black’s Tire Service Inc., based in Whiteville, N.C., is “trying to trim stock levels, with the high cost of inventory,” says Rick Benton, the dealership’s president.

Benton says tier-three and tier-four tire prices are at an “all-time low,” which is making more customers flock toward those products.

INVESTING IN COMMERCIAL

The country’s largest commercial tire dealers continue to invest in their operations.

Service Truck Tire Centers Inc. (STTC), which is based in Bethlehem, Pa., made a handful of investments this year.

STTC opened a new location in Wall, N.J., which is strategically placed between two of its other New Jersey locations.

Walt Dealtrey Jr., the dealership’s president, says STTC also has added more accounts payable automation at its locations to make the “back office more efficient.”

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Commerci al T ire De aler™ And he says STTC relocated and combined its White Marsh and Aberdeen, Md., locations to a “single, better building.”

Commercial dealers are investing in their road service capabilities, as well.

McCarthy Tire invested in 139 new service vehicles this year, bringing its total number of service trucks up to 833.

CONSOLIDATION CONTINUES

Consolidation has been another theme among the country’s largest commercial tire dealerships.

Green Bay, Wis.-based Pomp’s Tire Service Inc. acquired St. Cloud, Minn.based Royal Tire Inc. in April 2023.

The acquisition gave Pomp’s Tire Service 17 more points of sale, plus three retread shops, and expanded its footprint in Minnesota and North Dakota. (Royal Tire held the 22nd spot on MTD’s 2022 Top 25 Commercial Tire Dealer list.)

This acquisition moved Pomp’s Tire Service up to the number three spot on our Top 25 Commercial List.

The country’s largest commercial tire dealership, Columbia, Miss.-based Southern Tire Mart LLC, has made numerous acquisitions this year. (Southern Tire Mart has held the number one spot on MTD’s Top 25 Commercial Tire Dealers list since 2011.)

Not all of Southern Tire Mart’s acquisitions were commercial truck tire-specific.

In April, the company acquired wholesale-distributor Friend Tire Co. from Yokohama Tire Corp.

This transaction gave Southern Tire Mart nine additional distribution centers.

Southern Tire Mart also expanded its presence in California by acquiring Country Tire & Wheel and Tulare Firestone, dba TF Tire & Service.

The Country Tire & Wheel purchase gave Southern Tire Mart four more locations and the Tulare Firestone deal gave the company nine locations.

A retread plant that TF Tire and Country Tire owned also was picked up

by Southern Tire Mart at that time.

Kevin Haddox, who manages Southern Tire Mart’s business west of the Mississippi, says that Country Tire “was more of a commercial dealership” and Tulare “was an ag tire dealer that also did commercial and retail.”

In addition, Southern Tire Mart acquired Heintschel Truck Tire Center of Texarkana, Texas, during the first quarter of 2023.

McCarthy Tire has made some acquisitions. The company kicked off 2023 with the purchase of Truck Fleet Repair, a single-location dealership in Norfolk, Va. It also acquired Roli Retreads Inc., a single-location operation in Farmingdale, N.Y. The deal included a retread plant.

More recently, McCarthy Tire acquired another single-location dealership, Dice’s Tire Service in Carlisle, Pa. The acquisition included a Bandag retread plant.

MTD’s lists the 25 largest independent commercial tire dealerships in the U.S., starting on the next page.

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T o p 2 5 I n d e p e n d e n t X Cx ox m x xm e r c i a l T i r e D e a l e r s

Service trucks

Points based on number of outlets

184/42

Bridgestone, Firestone, Continental, General, Yokohama, Toyo, Double Coin, Gladiator, Dayton

26

2,289

469.6

2. Best-One Tire Group Monroe, Ind. www.bestonetire.com

Larry Zurcher and Mark Zurcher, CEOs

115/60

Bridgestone, Firestone, Mastercraft, Roadmaster, Continental, General, Michelin, Goodyear, BFGoodrich, Uniroyal, Yokohama, Toyo, Ironhead

20

700+

290.8

3. Pomp's Tire Service Inc. Green Bay, Wis. www.pompstire.com

Jim Wochinske, CEO

90/95

Bridgestone, Firestone, Continental, General, Goodyear, Michelin, Yokohama, Kelly, Hankook, Double Coin, Gladiator

30

946

352.5

4. Snider Tire Inc. dba Snider Fleet Solutions Newton, N.C. www.sniderfleet.com

Marty Herndon, chairman and CEO

80-plus/0 BFGoodrich, Continental, General, Michelin, Hankook, Yokohama

9

650+

169

5. McCarthy Tire Service Co. Inc. Wilkes-Barre, Pa. www.mccarthytire.com

John McCarthy Jr., president

51/15

Bridgestone, Double Coin, Firestone, Continental, General, Hankook, Yokohama, Zenna

14

833

145.4

6. Les Schwab Tire Centers Inc. Bend, Ore. www.lesschwab.com

Mike Broberg, CEO

0/466

Bridgestone, Continental, Double Coin, Falken, Firestone, Michelin, Toyo

1

1,500

187.4

7. Service Truck Tire Centers Inc. Bethlehem, Pa. www.sttc.com

Walter Dealtrey, CEO and president

50/3

BFGoodrich, Cooper, Goodyear, Kelly, Michelin, Roadmaster, Yokohama

5

265

110.4

8. Purcell Tire & Rubber Co. dba Purcell Tire and Service Centers Potosi, Mo. www.purcelltire.com

Roger Lucas, CEO

26/42

BFGoodrich, Continental, Dunlop, General, Goodyear, Hankook, Michelin, Yokohama

4

302

122.2

9. Earl W. Colvard Inc. dba Boulevard Tire Center Deland, Fla. www.boulevardtire.com

Earl Colvard, president

28/4

BFGoodrich, Bridgestone, Continental, Dayton, Firestone, General, Gladiator, Michelin, Roadmaster, Uniroyal, Yokohama

4

286

64

10. Parkhouse Tire Inc. Bell Gardens, Calif. www.parkhousetire.com

Jim Parkhouse, CEO

14/0

BFGoodrich, Bridgestone, Continental, Firestone, General, Michelin, Yokohama

3

140

31

11. Bauer Built Inc. dba Bauer Built Tire & Service Durand, Wis. www.bauerbuilt.com

Jerry Bauer, CEO and chairman

23/10

BFGoodrich, Continental, Cooper, Falken, Galaxy, General, Kumho, Michelin, Uniroyal

5

116

65

12. Commercial Tire Inc. Meridian, Idaho www.commercialtire.com

Bob Schwenkfelder, CEO

10/38

Bridgestone, Cooper, Firestone, Galaxy, Giti, Milestar, Roadmaster, RoadX, Yokohama

4

180

73.4

13. Bob Sumerel Tire Co. Inc. Erlanger, Ky. www.bobsumereltire.com

Todd Sumerel, president

16/10

Bridgestone, Firestone, Continental, General, Goodyear, Roadmaster, Yokohama

10

115

60

14. T&W Tire LLC. Oklahoma City, Okla. www.tandwtire.com

Kane Russell, John Theissen and Steve Theissen, owners

0/29

BFGoodrich, Continental, Hankook, Michelin, Uniroyal, Yokohama

4

60

50.4

15. Pete's Tire Barns Inc. Orange, Mass. www.petestire.com

Peter Gerry, CEO

0/25

ACTN (private label), Ameristeel, Bridgestone, Continental, Double Coin, Firestone, Fortune, General, Michelin, Nokian

3

165

40.5

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Truck tire brands

Thomas and James Duff, owners

Chief Officer

1. Southern Tire Mart LLC Columbia, Miss. www.stmtires.com

Rank, Company, Headquarters, Website

Retread plants

Commercialonly outlets/ commercial-retail outlets*

2023 Modern Tire Dealer Top 25 Independent Commercial Tire Dealers in the U.S.

MTD October 2023 9/26/23 12:13 PM

Service trucks

Points based on number of outlets

BFGoodrich, Continental, Firestone, General, Hankook, Michelin, Navitrac, RoadX, Samson, Sumitomo, Yokohama, Uniroyal

2

176

42.5

17. Jack's Tire and Oil Management Co. Inc. Logan, Utah www.jackstireandoil.com

Bob Feldbauer, CEO and president

4/12

BFGoodrich, Continental, Falken, General, Goodyear, Hankook, Michelin, Sailun, Sumitomo, Toyo, Uniroyal, Yokohama

5

88

34.6

18. Black's Tire Service Inc. Whiteville, N.C. www.blackstire.com

Ricky Benton, president

0/55

Arisun, Continental, Cooper, Double Coin, Falken, Goodyear, Hankook, Kelly, Roadmaster

1

200

56

19. Rice Tire Co. Frederick, Md. www.ricetire.com

Chris Chase, president

0/13

Continental, Falken, General, Goodyear, Michelin, Sailun

2

75

22.8

20. Nebraskaland Tire Inc., dba Nebraskaland Tire, Kansasland Tire and Coloradoland Tire and McWhorters Tire and Service Lexington, Neb. www.thetirestore.com

Gary Wright, president

7/29

Dunlop, Galaxy, Goodyear, Kelly, Roadmaster

4

75

58.6

21. Sullivan Tire Co. Inc. Norwell, Mass. www.sullivantire.com

Joseph Zaccheo, CEO and president

17/0

Arisun, Bridgestone, Cooper, Firestone, Goodyear, Maxam, Roadmaster

2

90

36

22. Good Tire Services Kittanning, Pa. www. goodtire.com

Denton Good, president

8/2

Ameristeel, Bridgestone, Continental, Falken, Firestone, Galaxy, General, Goodyear, Hankook, Sailun

1

32

20.8

23. Valley Tire Co. Inc. Cherleroi, Pa. www.valleytire.com

Jim Stankiewicz, CEO

8/6

BFGoodrich, Continental, General, Michelin, Sumitomo, Uniroyal, Yokohama

1

75

27.2

24. Stratham Tire LLC. Brentwood, N.H. www.strathamtire.com

Denise Littlefield, CEO

1/6

BFGoodrich, Bridgestone, Double Coin, Firestone, Hankook, Michelin, RoadX, Uniroyal

2

17

11.2

25. Graham Tire Co. Sioux Falls, S.D. www.grahamtire.com

David Mickelson, CEO and president

6/15

Dunlop, Goodyear, Hankook, Kelly, Kumho, Onyx

1

24

17.2

Truck tire brands

Retread plants

Commercialonly outlets/ commercial-retail outlets* 0/22

Chief Officer William Ziegler, president

Rank, Company, Headquarters, Website 16. Ziegler Tire & Supply Co. dba Ziegler Tire Massillon, Ohio www.zieglertire.com

*Rankings are based on MTD estimates of 2022 commercial sales. *Les Schwab store total does not include member-dealer stores.

HOW RANKINGS ARE DETERMINED: To be ranked on the MTD Top 25 Commercial Tire Dealers in the U.S. list, a dealer has to sell truck tires, have at least one retread plant and offer 24/7 emergency roadside service. Points are tabulated based on the number of outlets. Each commercial-only outlet receives two points. Each retread plant receives one point. The number of combined commercial/retail outlets is multiplied by the estimated percentage of commercial sales and then multiplied by two. The highest 25 point totals make up the list. Then dealers are ranked based on MTD’s estimate of their commercial sales.

TIRE MANUFACTURER-OWNED/TRUCK STOP NETWORK UPDATE: In addition to independent commercial tire dealerships, commercial tires and in some cases, retreaded tires, are also available through tire manufacturer-owned networks and truck stop chains: • Bridgestone Americas Inc. says it will continue to operate nine GCR Tires & Service locations and two Bandag retread plants in the U.S.; • Continental Tire the Americas LLC says it operates 23 BestDrive locations and four retread plant locations throughout the U.S., and; • Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., operates around 200 Goodyear Commercial Tire & Service Center locations in the U.S. Truck stop chains continue to add locations. At press time, Pilot Travel Centers operated more than 800 Pilot Flying J Truck Care locations across more than 40 states; Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores Inc. operated more than 430 Love’s Truck Care and Speedco locations; and TravelCenters of American Inc. operated more than 288-full service travel centers under several different brand names.

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51 9/26/23 12:13 PM

Retreading

RETREAD MARKET ON TRACK TO OUTPERFORM 2022 STABLE SUPPLY HAS HELPED, SAYS BANDAG’S ROANHOUSE

By

Mike Manges

T

he domestic medium truck tire utilization, retreading can benefit from BIG INVESTMENT extended (equipment) trade cycles and Bridgestone Americas Inc. recently retread market is on track to additional replacement opportunities, broke ground on a $60 million expanoutperform 2022, but gains will particularly in power units. If overall sion of its Bandag tread rubber manube relatively modest. That’s what facturing plant in Abilene, Texas.

Jason Roanhouse, vice presiThe capital infusion will increase dent of operations for the Bandag the plant’s output by 16% and will business at Bridgestone Americas add 50,000 square feet onto the Inc., predicts.

Around 15.5 million medium facility. (The 52-year-old plant curtruck tire retreads were produced rently spans 200,000 square feet.) in the United States during 2022. “I The investment, which includes think a repeat of (that) in 2023” is construction of new mixing operalikely, with an increase of as many tions, is due to “growing demand as 500,000 units possible, “based on for the company’s retread prodthe data we have,” says Roanhouse. ucts,” according to Bridgestone A return to what he calls “stable officials. supply” in both raw materials and It will “allow us to process tread production after a tumultuous tougher and more complex comcouple of years has bolstered the pounds,” says Roanhouse. “As prod“Traditionally, the retread market has accelerated market. ucts continue to evolve from a matethrough October,” says Jason Roanhouse, vice “When you encounter supply rial science standpoint, (advanced) president of operations, Bridgestone Americas challenges, you end up with a casing mixing capabilities are needed and Inc.’s Bandag division. backlog and upstream challenges in other technological advancements Photo: Bridgestone Americas Inc. both dealer inventories and the manuare needed.” facturer’s ability to serve the market.

Roanhouse calls the Abilene “You really have to fill the bucket from capacity is down, the total market declines investment “one example of Bridgesthe bottom. Casings that are waiting to be in response to available freight. tone’s commitment to Bandag and the retreaded have to catch up. Then dealer “The service sector for Bandag — and retread industry, overall. There is still inventory and production can stabilize. retreading, in general — is a key conbelief in the strength of the market and And finally, our inventory is replenished tributor to our business. Continuing to a belief in the need to advance technoand fill rates recover.” focus on areas like waste and recycling, logically” in order to better serve fleets.

Casing supply now appears more than package delivery and other service-based “I don’t want to get too far ahead adequate to support increased production, transportation (clients) can have a large of myself in the final quarter” of 2023, says Roanhouse. he cautions. “Traditionally, the retread impact on demand for retreading.

“During the period when the industry “I can only speak for Bandag, but there market has accelerated through Octohad supply challenges, retreaders were have been a lot of growth opportunities ber as customers ramp up through the matching the availability of treads in the for us” during 2023. “Anytime the trade busiest months.” more common widths with the casings in cycle is extended, it offers the opportuTire replacement, he says, typically their inventories to maximize our ability nity” for additional retreading. remains robust through November. to supply the market. Since then, we’ve “When we see trade cycles lengthen, “Our dealer partners have overall been able to catch up on inventories, not this always drives the retread side of the seen higher production in 2023, with a equation,” says Roanhouse, who adds that few worrisome moments where market only for ourselves, but for our dealers.

“Retreading tends to be a bit counterthis “also has an effect on the number of softness or other variables impacted fleet cyclical,” he explains. “As fleets look at the casings coming in, so there’s a balance” demand. But overall, we’re on track to availability of equipment and capacity that must be achieved. outpace 2022.”

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MTD October 2023 9/26/23 12:13 PM

Commercially Viable Prinx expands Fortune lineup Prinx Chengshan Tire North America Inc. has launched a new Fortune brand spread axle trailer tire and a new Fortune long-haul steer tire. The spread axle tire, the Fortune FTH102, “features a range of advancements, engineered with a specialized tread compound, to withstand wear and tear demands,” say Prinx officials. Also new is the Fortune FFH130ET Enhanced long-haul steer tire. It is now available in two sizes, 295/75R22.5 LRG and 295/75R22.5 LRH, with six additional SKUs in development.

PRINX CHENGSHAN TIRE NORTH AMERICA INC. www.fortunetireusa.com

Sailun releases next-gen truck tires Sailun Tire Americas has rolled out its next generation of commercial truck tires, the S624 EFT and SDL70 EFT. The new tires offer improved fuel economy and come with the company’s Sailun Advantage eight-year and three-retread warranty. The S624 EFT is a premium, free-rolling position trailer tire for on-highway applications. The SDL70 EFT is a premium closed-shoulder drive tire that is designed to deliver “maximum mileage, stability and comfort,” say Sailun officials.

The S624 EFT and SDL70 EFT are both designed in North America.

SAILUN TIRE AMERICAS www.gosailun.com

Groundspeed tires are SmartWay-verified Sentury Tire USA has released two SmartWay-verified products, the Groundspeed GSFS01 and the Groundspeed GSKS02. “We’re excited to be able to contribute to the SmartWay movement,” says Maxwell Wee, executive vice president of Sentury Tire USA. “Our newly verified tires keep fleet vehicle owners competitive from a cost and emissions saving standpoint.”

SENTURY TIRE USA www.groundspeedtires.com

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Yokohama Off-Highway adds sizes Yokohama Off-Highway Tires Inc. has upgraded its Alliance 885 line of agritransport tires with new, high-load 850/50R30.5 and 710/40R22.5 sizes that are designed for modern manure tankers, sprayers and spreaders. The Alliance 885 features a curved-lug tread pattern with optimal traction for the field; selfcleaning, rounded shoulders to minimize crop damage; and a dense centerline for stability while driving on the road.

YOKOHAMA OFF-HIGHWAY TIRES INC. www.yokohama-oht.com

Apollo rolls out closed-shoulder drive tire Apollo Tyres Ltd. has released its Apollo Endu Combi RDCS long-wearing, closedshoulder drive tire for regional and super-regional operations. It is engineered to deliver “exceptional casing durability,” allowing for multiple retreads, according to Apollo officials. The tire’s tread pattern features optimized traction and offers longer mileage. The Apollo Endu Combi RDCS tire currently comes in four sizes — two 11R22.5 sizes and two 295/75R22.5 sizes — with two more sizes on the way soon.

APOLLO TYRES LTD. www.apollotrucktires.com

Bridgestone introduces new drive tire Bridgestone Americas Inc. has rolled out the Firestone FD694, a drive tire designed to deliver “exceptional mileage” for longhaul and regional truck applications.

The tire is currently available in size 295/75R22.5 and will soon be available in three additional sizes: 11R22.5, 11R24.5, and 285/75R24.5. It features a deep- and high-rigidity tread pattern with a solid shoulder design that offers long, even wear across a wide range of applications; a wear-resistant tread compound; and more.

BRIDGESTONE AMERICAS INC. www.firestonetire.com

53 9/26/23 12:35 PM

AG T ire Talk

WHAT TIRES WILL ELECTRIC TRACTORS NEED? AG TIREMAKERS WEIGH IN ON EMERGING REQUIREMENTS

Modern Tire Dealer has partnered with AG Tire Talk to provide answers to insightful questions that farm tire dealers have about farm tire technology. This is the next installment in our ongoing series, which is designed to help farm tire dealers better connect with their customers. A trending question, followed by answers, will appear in our Commercial Tire Dealer section every other month. For complete answers, click on www.agtiretalk.com.

Image: Solectrac

QUESTION: What ag tractor segments do you foresee growing with electric power adoption, will any changes be required in current tire lines and design and what plans, if any, do you have to accommodate higher torque and weight, lower rolling resistance and noise?

ANNIE BOYER, marketing manager, Ascenso Tires North America: We believe that the growth of electric power vehicles in the agricultural tractor segment will come first in the under 40 horsepower (hp) and then move up from there. This smaller segment will be the easiest to transform from a cost-effective point, as well as means of use point, as these tend to be less constant use applications.

We feel that the electric power movement will move directly with the autonomous movement in the future in larger tractors.

As autonomy begins to pick up speed, overall tractor sizes will (get) smaller and electric power will be easier to adapt. On-board air (inflation) will also be standard more and more in the future.

Combines and carts will most likely be the last place for EV or autonomous use.

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‘There will most likely never be one design that meets all requirements.’

Annie Boyer, marketing manager, Ascenso Tires North America

There really won’t be a need for tires to change in a significant way just due to electric operation. Hybrid treads — those that are a mix of R1/R4/R3 — may become more popular just from a noise, roading and a more even compaction area point. The added weight that may come with electric on small tractors will likely require wider and perhaps a little taller tires. There will most likely never be one design that meets all requirements, so there will always be a variety of choices based on specific needs and this fits Ascenso’s plan to build application-specific tires.

Perhaps the greatest need for the future of electrification of vehicles is from the safety aspect of how to safely power and operate these vehicles in harsh environments.

MTD October 2023 9/26/23 12:13 PM

DAVE PAULK, manager, field technical services, BKT USA Inc.: This is a difficult question to answer at this point. With cars, pickups, and trucks coming online, ag tractors will be the next frontier. There are some less-than-40 hp electric compact tractors available on the market for light work. Considering all the electric tools now available, from lawn mowers to side-bysides, the technology will only get better.

Although larger tractors are likely being tested, it appears the less-than-40 to 100 hp market is the first seriously being looked at with utility tractors for full electrification. This market will continue to be developed and grow with new ideas.

How long will it take to make these tractors where they work well and are affordable? A look at history gives some insight into the development of modern tractors and the time it has taken to get us where we are today with gasoline and diesel.

When you consider that horses and mules were still being used more than tractors through the 1940s, tractors have made a large jump, brought on by technology and the need to replace labor on farms.

From the 1870s to the 1910s, steam tractors were used in some areas. The first tractor weighed 14,000 pounds and produced 30 hp. They could move under their own power, but because of their mechanical complexity, their size and the constant danger of exploding, they were unusable on most farms. The rate of growth of steam horsepower was far less than the growth in animal horsepower for the time.

The first tractors had the same traits as steam engines, as they were heavy, with steel wheels or tracks, and they were large and expensive. By the mid 1930s, several manufacturers had developed generalpurpose tractors and replacement of the horse and mule had begun. By 1960, except for in the Deep South, the increase in the percentage of farms with tractors had stopped. It took many years to move from horses and mules to tractors.

At some point, as electrification technology gets better and is used on largerhorsepower tractors, tire manufacturers will have to adjust to meet new demands from the equipment. Tire technology now is much better, thanks in part to the evolution of mechanical front-wheel drive (MFWD) and four-wheel-drive (4WD) tractors. The decreasing number of farmers and the distance traveled between

farms has forced tire manufacturers to develop tires that ride smoother and will last longer when used on the highway.

Some tractors will now go up to 45 mph.

Provisions had to be made and designed to handle those speeds. As electrification advances are made and electric tractors become more commonplace, advances in

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tire technology will have to keep up with the demands of the equipment.

If you look at large tractors that are currently used, they are heavy and have high horsepower. They produce a large amount of torque. The industry already produces tires that will handle the weight and stress of high torque.

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55 1/13/23 3:59 PM 9/26/23 12:13 PM

AG T ire Talk At BKT, tires are currently tested for road noise. Since electric tractors produce little engine noise, this may become a higher priority in the future.

Rolling resistance is another issue that is currently being tested. Since tractors spend so much more time on the highway, rolling resistance, ride comfort and road noise are issues that are at the top when testing. With electric tractors, rolling resistance dictates how long battery life they will have.

BKT is always looking at market requirements and making changes to accommodate the market and handle the horsepower, torque and weight of future equipment. As previously stated, BKT already tests for rolling resistance and noise levels. We know this is something being experimented with and (we) are closely monitoring new technology and equipment in the marketplace to supply the best tire possible for these applications.

Based on observed market trends, it seems evident the use of electrification or other sustainable fuels may be evolving to the following platforms. Compact and support tractors below 50 hp represent the greatest immediate opportunity for electric engines and market sustainability solutions. Most of these lower-hp engines are primarily used in smaller farming operations, where compaction due to heavier wheelbase weight is less of an issue

The greatest challenge facing tire manufacturers in the quest for electrification or power sustainability solutions will be the tire weight requirements due to heavier loads and the power transmission or torque applied to the tires, resulting in reduced tire life as proven by current electric vehicles.

DAVID GRADEN, operational market manager, agriculture, Michelin North America Inc.: The challenge here is knowing where this technology will go in the near and long-term futures. If I would guess, we will see electric power adaption to less-than-40 hp compact and 40 hp-to-100 hp utility (tractors) first, then 100-plus hp medium/ large ag many years down the road or (the market might) even grow faster in the direction of natural gas and/or hydrogen powered engines. Regardless, the infrastructure for each of these is vastly different from the next, which will ultimately dictate what BKT’s E-Ready logo will appear on products the comes first. company makes for electric-powered ag equipment.

GREG GILLAND, vice president, When looking at less-thanPhoto: BKT global agriculture, Maxam Tire 40 hp compact and 40-to-100 hp North America Inc.: Electric utility tractors, the infrastructure vehicles are heavier as the electric is already there, in many cases. motors are located at the wheelbase and due to their role as support machinery These machines are typically used for eliminate the need for an axle for conwith limited weight towing requirements. short periods of time and also tend to ventional engine crankshaft and gearing.

These types of lighter ag applications are operate nearer to utilities. In fact, electriThis poses an increase in tire weight, less demanding as higher horsepower fication of these machines may not cost which contributes to greater potential tractor platform market demands and as much as one may think, due to fewer soil compaction. therefore represent an easier platform to parts needed to make them work. From Currently observed trends on existing develop short-range or limited battery life a tire perspective, however, we can no electric vehicles in passenger or light truck offerings capable of evolving into higherlonger assume that our current rubber applications indicate a reduction in tire hp applications. compounds and chevron patterns will life of about 30% due to the amount of The 50-plus-up-to-130 hp power range perform under the torque these electric weight, torque and power that electric will be the true test of electric developvehicles can put down. engines can deliver. ments, as these represent the largest global Whereas diesel/gas-powered engines segment of tractors in the market. Tractake time to rev up and put power to The need for a longer battery service life is ever-increasing. Electrification tors above 50 hp are used as production the ground, electric engine power is energy demands are driving battery machinery in smaller farms —less than instant. This means rubber compounds life improvements to meet the growing 400 acres, dairy operations or ranching. within these tires will need to handle market need. Regardless of the power instant torque, as well, without chipping, The 125-plus hp platforms and up to available, the battery service life will be 600-plus hp 4WD tractors will be the chunking or tearing apart. Hybrid tread subject to the amount of torque or confrontier of alternative fuels or energy, as designs will help, but unfortunately, the sumption applied to work a field. their mission is centered on heavy-duty biggest challenge is creating new rubber It will be difficult at this stage to farming with large fields of more than 400 compounds that perform under instant either have longer recharging cables or acres requiring autonomy, fuel range and torque without giving up something else, portable replacement batteries available to power transmission to tow the heaviest like tractive capacity, flotation, carrying recharge the heavier, 150-plus hp tractor pieces of support equipment. The most capacity, etc. For example, when creating and equivalent machinery that operate in significant challenge to this equipment a softer rubber compound to perform in large-acreage fields far away from power is battery life and rechargeability in a winter, you typically give up longevity/ sources or recharging stations. remote field application. mileage in exchange for high tractive

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capacity. Simply put, the softer rubber moves and changes shape easily, allowing it to grip the ground better and, thus, better traction.

We are all witnessing the beginning stages of time where agricultural innovations are just pouring out of the woodwork! As an industry, we are driven by shrinking land and water availability, ever-growing food demand and higherthan-ever energy consumption.

BLAINE COX, national product manager — agriculture, golf and turf, Yokohama Off-Highway Tires America Inc.: There’s a lot of interest in electric tractors across a wide range of sizes and we, as tire manufacturers, have to keep up. At Yokohama Off-Highway Tires, we’ve already seen electric equipment coming into the mining, construction and industrial segments, so we’re building up our base of experience. What we are learning in those markets shows us how electrification will affect the farm, not

‘Look for high-efficiency tread designs that minimize rolling resistance.’

Blaine Cox, national product manager — agriculture, golf and turf, Yokohama Off-Highway Tires America Inc.

only in tractors, but with electric loaders, skid steers and other equipment.

The fundamental challenges to tires are the same across all electric vehicles. The first challenge is that the machines deliver very high torque almost immediately — a truly impressive amount of torque.

To hand le t hat force, we need extremely strong beads to minimize slipping, reinforced sidewalls and extremely strong undertread and tie bar construction to minimize the movement of lugs

and tread blocks that can create cracking at the base of the lugs.

Electric vehicles also tend to be heavier than their internal combustion counterparts, so high load index is very important. Expect to see a lot of all-steel construction and improved compounds.

Rolling resistance will continue to be a major factor in tire design. The less rolling resistance a machine encounters, the longer it can work on a charge. It’s just like fuel efficiency in a diesel tractor.

Look for high-efficiency tread designs that minimize rolling resistance, as well as vibration and noise, which can affect operator comfort and the performance of electronic components.

Electric vehicle technology is a very exciting advancement for farmers and can bring farms to new levels of productivity, efficiency and self-sufficiency. As we have with every shift to new technology, we will help farmers make the most of the opportunities that electric vehicle technology will bring to the market. ■

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Business Insight

Why discounting isn’t your biggest gross profit problem

POOR TICKET BUILDING, WRONG MIX WILL HURT YOUR BUSINESS By

Dennis McCarron

M

ost tire dealership owners like to point to discountcomb to see where opportunities are missed. That could be in missing parts, missing labor or underpriced parts. ing by service advisors as the biggest cause of poor Additionally, are you buying at the right price? Many times, a gross margins. But what if I told you discounting shop will slide into complacency in ordering parts from a vendor wasn’t your biggest gross profit problem?

Let’s do a small financial exercise. Grab your and not bother to check if that vendor’s price is competitive. If last P&L or any random month’s P&L you have nearby. Look a vendor is being chosen because they are faster at delivering for the line “discounts.” If you don’t track discounts, you have parts, then factoring in a proper matrix for gross profit is the to start doing that first. Add back the discounts to your gross price you pay for faster service. profit amount. Now, divide the new gross profit amount by total The second reason for lower gross margins is your mix of sales. You’ll very likely find that your margins are still below business. If your business is 70% tire sales, you will struggle to what they should be. meet your total gross profit margins. A shop that makes a fair If you sell both tires and auto profit takes care of the customer by service, your target for total gross letting them know the condition profit is 60%. If you sell just service, of their vehicle. Not informing a that target is at least 75%. customer of maintenance that is What’s keeping you from hitting due or systems that need attention those targets? There are two main is a disservice to that customer. reasons for this underperformance.

Traditionally, a shop that is The first and most likely reason functioning well will have a balis poor ticket building. In other ance of $1 in parts, $1 in labor and words, parts are not being calcu$1 in tire sales. lated properly to achieve good parts Recent inflation and wage growth margins. The target for good parts may bump up your labor collection margins is 50%. If you do a lot of slightly and that’s OK. This balanced heavy repairs, this can be a chalratio shows that a shop is taking care lenge as you can’t simply get 50% of walk-in business — what the cuson a radiator or transmission. You tomer came in for — and also allows need to sell more simple mainte- Not informing a customer of maintenance that is due the customer to make decisions nance, where the margins on parts or systems that need attention is a disservice to that about upcoming maintenance and customer. are much higher. You also need to unknown issues, like a low battery, Photo: MTD make sure you are collecting the a cracked belt or a burned-out bulb. right amount for labor.

Consistency is absolutely key to With the issue of comebacks, it is strongly recommended that running a modern tire dealership. Every dealership should have if you repair a mistake for free, the ticket should be billed out a rock-solid process on how a vehicle is entered into the system, normally and a separate expense line should be used to reduce inspected and estimated and also how customers are informed. the ticket to zero dollars. This does two things: it maintains the Customers look for consistency as it eases their fears of vehicle tracking of parts margins and creates a separate line to track repair. That vehicle is the second most expensive thing they will the cost of comebacks. ever buy and they don’t generally understand how it works. If Remember, tracking parts margins is about making sure one time they are told about the condition of their brakes when the system is working properly, so if you see a decline in parts they take their car in for a tire rotation and the next time they margins, you can accurately find the problem and not just blame are not told, this will create a lack of trust. a comeback or a few big jobs.

Proper margins are one of the keys to a successful tire dealerBuilding a good estimate is a skill in and of itself. It requires ship. With proper margins, your business can invest in itself, not just the input from the technician on what’s wrong, but an you can pay your employees a fair wage and you can prepare for large expenses in the future. ■ understanding of all that is involved in the job. And make sure you add fluids to a ticket when servicing that component. Gaskets and brackets are also overlooked frequently.

Dennis McCarron is a partner at Cardinal Brokers Inc., one of the leading brokers in the I would suggest to any manager or owner that you should tire and automotive industry (www.cardinalbrokers.com.) To contact McCarron, email him at take a random day’s tickets and review them with a fine-tooth dennis@cardinalbrokers.com.

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Mergers and Acquisitions

Building wealth over time A ROADMAP FOR COMMERCIAL TIRE DEALERS By

Michael McGregor

I

n the commercial tire business, the quest for profitability can sometimes be a struggle. Commercial tire dealers tirelessly serve their demanding customers and often operate on challenging margins.

If you find yourself in this position, there are some smart strategies that can help you build wealth over time. In this column, I’ll be exploring real estate ownership and retirement planning, followed by the benefits of investing in index funds.

One of the smartest financial decisions any tire dealer can make is to own the real estate on which your business operates.

While your business may be your primary source of income, the property your dealership sits on will become a valuable asset in its own right.

Consider this scenario: after years of hard work and dedication, your tire business has grown, but its profit margins remain in the 3% to 4% range. We know that the formula for valuing high cash-flowing businesses is a multiple applied to profitability, but with lower-margin businesses, it’s likely to be an asset-based valuation comprised of the A/R, inventory and equipment — hopefully with a bump for goodwill.

In contrast, the property your dealership is housed on has likely steadily appreciated. When the time comes to sell your business and retire, often the real estate is worth more than the business itself.

Investing in real estate not only provides upside in value, but it also offers tax benefits, such as deductions for rent, insurance, upkeep and property taxes. Additionally, you generate personal income by leasing the property to the business. Make sure that you are charging yourself fair market rent and raise the rent as needed to keep it at market rates. If you operate in a location that you don’t own, either try to buy it or move nearby to an equally good location that you can own.

While running your business may be your current focus, securing your financial future is equally as important. Building wealth over time starts with smart, tax-efficient retirement planning.

If your business is structured to allow it, set up a 401(k) plan for yourself and your employees. Contributions to a 401(k) are made with pre-tax dollars, reducing your taxable income in the present while building a nest egg for the future.

To maximize the benefits of a 401(k), contribute the maximum allowable amount each year. The limits can change, so stay updated with the current contribution limits set by the IRS. By consistently funding your 401(k), you’ll harness the power of compounding tax-free, allowing your investments to grow substantially over time.

In addition to a 401(k), open an Individual Retirement Account (IRA), which offers tax advantages similar to a 401(k), with the added benefit of flexibility. You can choose between a Traditional IRA, which provides immediate tax benefits, or a Roth IRA, where withdrawals in retirement are tax-free.

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By contributing the maximum allowable amount to both your 401(k) and IRA, you’re creating a strong foundation for your financial future. The earlier you start saving for retirement, the more time your investments have time to grow.

Now that you’ve laid the groundwork through real estate ownership and retirement planning, it’s time to make your money work for you.

‘There are some smart strategies that can help you build wealth over time.’

One of the most prudent investment strategies for long-term wealth building is to invest in index funds, specifically those tracking broad market benchmarks, like the Vanguard, Schwab or Fidelity S&P 500 index fund. Index funds are the only type of investment outside of Berkshire Hathaway stock that has the seal of approval of Warren Buffet.

Index funds offer a passive investment approach that has consistently outperformed active stock picking over the long term.

Rather than trying to beat the market by selecting individual stocks, index funds replicate the performance of a market index, like the S&P 500. This approach has several advantages: • Diversification. Index funds provide exposure to a broad range of stocks, spreading risk across the entire market.

• Lower costs. Index funds generally have much lower fees and expenses compared to actively managed funds, which can eat into your returns.

• Consistency. Over time, index funds tend to deliver consistent, market-matching returns, making them a reliable choice for building wealth steadily.

• Minimal effort. With index funds, you don’t need to constantly monitor and adjust your portfolio. They require minimal management, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your life and business.

Investing in index funds is a long-term, low cost “buy-and-hold” strategy. While the stock market can experience fluctuations in the short term, history has shown that it tends to trend upward over extended periods. Stay committed to your long-term investment plan. ■ Michael McGregor is a partner at Focus Investment Banking LLC (focusbankers.com/automotive/tire-and-service). He advises and assists multi-location tire dealers on mergers and acquisitions. For more information, contact him at michael.mcgregor@focusbankers.com.

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Dealer Development

How to fix things that keep going wrong DO YOU HAVE THE BASIC BUILDING BLOCKS IN PLACE? By

Randy O’Connor

F

or years, before my passion became supporting the independent tire dealer, I spent my time trying to outperform my last time, literally. I networked, strategized, spent endless hours training and evaluated every step so the next was smoother, faster, better-informed and more productive.

I sought the advice of professionals, surrounded myself with those who had a strong vision and dialed all things in my life around a single goal.

Along the way, I learned that to be among the best involved much more than intent, dedication and talent. It involved real work.

So how do you zero in on — and fix — the things that are keeping your business from being among the best? Here are some tips.

First, own your targets. The vision for your mission should have numerous targets along the way, with each intended to build on the prior, in succession, to advance towards whatever the end game is you’re seeking.

I often find that missing your target is a result of the failure to plan at the broadest levels.

Instead, we tend to spend our time, energy and money chasing the shiny new object that just popped up.

All those shiny new objects add up to a recipe for random and inconsistent results.

‘We should exemplify the behavior we want to see, rather than demand it.’

Next, understand your role. An organizational chart is a great place to start. Org charts, especially when accompanied by job descriptions, are a great source of reference when it comes to both long-term and short-term planning. They also can help decision makers evaluate a long list of essentials.

You may be thinking, “I own or work in a single shop with only a few employees, so it seems silly to have an org chart.”

You’re wrong.

These tools not only provide the hierarchy, which clearly defines seniority and lines of authority, but they also show which roles are responsible for what tasks. This is essential.

Be a champion of the outcome. As leaders, we should exemplify the behavior we want to see, rather than demand it.

True champions have not only mastered the basics, but also have taught them time and time again. Whether consciously or not, the people in your organization pay close attention to what you say and what you do. If what you’re saying and doing are not consistent, your actions will lead to frustration and lack

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What does it take to truly compete at the highest levels? Do you have the basic building blocks in place?

Photo: MTD

of trust. Trust fuels collaboration and accountability, which increases engagement, productivity and loyalty.

As a recipe for solving some of your issues, let’s assume the above points are accurate, which they are.

Let’s also say you’ve got them nailed. Next, your approach to the details when planning your path forward will affect the outcome in significant ways. This is where things get tricky.

They say it takes 30 to 90 days to change a behavior. What they don’t tell you is how to maintain those behaviors as you change others.

If you work on two goals at a time and you stick with each for 60 days, it might seem that you, at the very least, will be able to work through 12 significant items in a year. The reality is, to make those changes part of your dealership’s culture, you need more like six to nine months of dedicated effort and follow-through.

Now, you’re down to a handful of meaningful changes. This is where evaluating the changes you want to see, in terms of your long-term mission and vision, becomes super-important.

Strategies like the 80/20 rule pay huge dividends here. In this case, the 80/20 rule means that out of all the things you want to accomplish, you start with the one that gets you the majority of the way there, with as little effort as possible. Then you rinse and repeat.

We should all be asking ourselves, “What does it take to truly differentiate ourselves from the rest and compete at the highest levels?”

Do you have the basic building blocks in place to make effective change last? ■ Tire and auto industry veteran Randy O’Connor is the Owner/Principal of D2D Development Group (Dealer to Dealer Development Group.) He can be reached at randy@d2ddevelopmentgroup.com. For more information, please visit www.d2ddevelopmentgroup.com.

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9/26/23 12:13 PM 9/8/23 9:20 AM

EV Intelligence

How to deal with difficult customers WISDOM FROM MOTHER TERESA By

Craig Van Batenburg

S

ome customers — even electric vehicle (EV) owners — can be unreasonable. They may expect you to be an EV expert on day one. Other customers are a pleasure to deal with, while many are somewhere in between.

New EV owners, especially those who have bought used EVs, may experience range anxiety, have no owner’s manual, may complain of real or imagined problems, might need to replace their tires more frequently than before and have other concerns.

They can be a handful at the front counter. (Along with technician training, my company, Automotive Career Development Center, also offers management training as it pertains to moving into the plug-in, EV world. I am coaching more shop owners about the mentality of EV drivers than ever before.)

How do you deal with difficult customers?

My drive to work, in an electric car or motorcycle, allows me 20 minutes to be by myself. (As a fellow business owner, you can probably relate to this.)

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight. Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, others may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow. Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough.

Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

‘Keeping a positive attitude about my customers is what I owe them — and my staff.’

Customers are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered.

Forgive them anyway, but make sure they pay the whole bill, including the time you held their hands and answered all their questions.

If you are kind to your employees, some employees may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway, as they are a big part of how successful you have become.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway. Enough said!

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you. Be honest and frank anyway, but keep bank accounts, tools, pass codes and such locked up. When needed, a lawyer can come in handy.

What you spent years building, someone could destroy overnight. Build anyway. Buy insurance so you can rebuild and keep a fire extinguisher nearby.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow. Do good anyway and then write a company newsletter so others can remember your good deeds.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway. Your customers most likely will not come to your funeral, so spend your time and energy with those who will.

I think about my day as it’s getting started. And when heading home, I think about the day that I had. Most days they do not match up. Some can be challenging.

But keeping a positive attitude about my customers is what I owe them — and my staff.

Having a healthy perspective allows us to handle stress, make better decisions and just plain feel better at work. But it’s easier said than done.

My wife, Deb, and I enjoyed going to the United Congregational Church of Worcester. Years ago, Rev. Mark Seifried helped us get through a difficult time with our two sons.

We adopted two boys who were living in foster homes and wanted a forever family. It was not easy for any of us. We learned lots of life lessons in that undertaking. Mark once sent the following to me as I needed some wisdom: People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered.

Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you. Be honest and frank anyway.

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Most people believe this was engraved on the wall of Mother Teresa’s home for children in Calcutta, India. No one is sure, but if it moves you, then it was worth reading.

Can we apply this creed to operating a tire and service center?

I rewrote some of the previous words of wisdom with your shop in mind. I hope you can use this today and whenever you need it later on:

Keep these words handy for a while, then give them to someone else. I wish you much success and peace in your world. ■ Craig Van Batenburg is the CEO of Van Batenburg’s Garage Inc., dba Automotive Career Development Center (ACDC), which is based in Worcester, Mass. A 50-year automotive service industry veteran, Van Batenburg provides training for facilities that service — or want to service — electric and hybrid vehicles. For more information, see www.fixhybrid.com or email him at craig@fixhybrid.com.

MTD October 2023 9/26/23 12:13 PM

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Focus on Industry

Falken’s on the FAST track

INVESTMENT IN PRODUCTS, FANATIC PROGRAM DRIVES GROWTH By

Mike Manges

C

ontinued investment in new products and the Falken Fanatic associate dealer program is accelerating Sumitomo Rubber North America Inc.’s (SRNA) growth.

SRNA unveiled a number of new products — including its first all-weather tire and the next-generation of its popular WildPeak A/T A3 light truck tire — during the recent 2023 Falken Dealer Invitational event in Cascais, Portugal.

“We have some real impactful stuff for you,” Rick Brennan, SRNA vice president of strategic planning, told representatives from many of the largest tire distributors and dealers in North America, who together, make up 80% of the company’s North American sales.

First, SRNA unveiled the Aklimate, a new all-weather tire that will be available in 53 passenger sizes and 35 CUV/ SUV sizes, 14 of which hit the market in September. “We’ve created a mega-line to cover as much of the market as we could,” said Brennan.

Darren Thomas, SRNA’s president and CEO, attributes the Falken Fanatic associate dealer program’s remarkable growth to SRNA “taking the initiative to put 30 well-trained individuals on the street who are going to make 10 sales calls per day. Thirty times 10 is 300 and you’re going to sign some percentage of those,” he told MTD during SRNA’s recent Falken Dealer Invitational event.

Photo: MTD

The customers who attended Sumitomo Rubber North America Inc.’s (SRNA) 2023 Falken Dealer Invitational represented 80% of SRNA’s North American sales.

(Pictured, on right, Mike Youngblood, owner of Austin, Texas-based Youngblood Auto & Tire, with Richard Love, North America sales manager, TBR, SRNA.) Photo: MTD

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With the Aklimate, “we’ve done a lot of things to achieve snow performance without losing tread block rigidity,” explained Brennan, who added that the all-weather segment makes up about 8% of the U.S. touring tire market and 16% of the touring tire market in Canada.

The Falken Aklimate features a new, proprietary compound formula designed to enhance wet and snow traction, as well as wear resistance; optimized sipe depths; wide shoulder blocks; a high-edge component pattern design; and more.

“As we move forward, you’ll see even more improvements, especially as (the tire’s) compound technology improves,” said Brennan.

Meanwhile, SRNA is building on the success of its WildPeak A/T 3W light truck tire with the launch of the new WildPeak A/T 4W, which will be available in 98 sizes. (Ninety-one sizes will be ready by January 2024.)

“We’ve done what was needed to give you a product that’s a step up from the (WildPeak A/T 3W) and we’re convinced this will be well-received by the market,” said Brennan, who added that the WildPeak A/T 3W “is probably the most critical product we’ve ever replaced.

“We’ve tried to keep the wide-stance appeal of the 3W and we’ve changed the cosmetics of the shoulder with more staggered blocks. From a visual standpoint, the 4W looks really good.”

The new WildPeak A/T 4W also features several performance enhancements. “The 3W has been a great tire, but a few of the areas we wanted to improve (included) handling, plus wet and snow (performance).

And we’ve done that with the 4W.” Rounding out new Falken brand consumer tire offerings is the Azenis RS820.

Twenty-six Azenis RS820 sizes will launch during the second quarter of 2024, while 45 sizes will roll out during the third quarter of the year. An additional 17 sizes will be available the following quarter.

Brennan told dealers that with the Azenis RS820, SRNA has “been able to push the envelope quite a bit from where Falken has been with summer UHP tires.”

SRNA also introduced several new commercial truck tires during its event in Portugal, including the Falken RI121 spread-axle trailer tire. The RI121 sports a round shoulder profile for enhanced resistance to wear, as well as wave groove walls that offer increased resistance to rib erosion and other features. The tire will be available this December in the following sizes: 295/75R22.5, 255/70R22.5, 11R22.5 and 11R24.5.

The RI121 is performing extremely well in fleet evaluations, Brennan told dealers.

Also new from SRNA is the Falken SI011, an all-weather drive tire, which is currently available in size 11R22.5.

Two more sizes — 295/75R22.5 and 285/75R24.5 — will hit the market during the fourth quarter of 2024.

In addition, the BI837, a new closed shoulder, regional highway drive tire for light off-road and gravel applications, hit MTD October 2023 9/26/23 12:13 PM

2310MT

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At Mighty, we’re here to help your business make the most of every day and every bay. That includes in-person inventory management customized to your service needs.

Have the right products, at the right time, without having money sitting on the shelf. We’ll be there to help make it happen and to make sure you’re thrilled with the results.

MightyAutoParts.com

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Focus on Industry the market in two sizes — 11R22.5 and 255/70R22.5 — last month, with another size, 295/75R22.5, coming online in November of this year. Two more sizes — 285/75R24.5 and 11R24.5 — will be available in January 2024. Features of the BI837 include wide grooves to minimize stone retention, 28/32-inch tread depth and more.

SRNA’s product planning and development teams “are working their behinds off to provide you with the tires you need and want,” Brennan told dealers.

who are going to make 10 sales calls per day.

Thirty times 10 is 300 and you’re going to sign some percentage of those.

“This is exceptionally hard to do” and has required some reallocation of resources.

“When we turned on the FAST (Fanatic Associate Sales Team), we annihilated our budget for advertising and promotion. We pulled it away from consumer and we put it into independent tire dealers, who ultimately sell to those folks.

FAST GROWTH

“We’re seeing a lot more of the allweather product,” Paul Levengood, president of CJ’s Tire & Automotive Inc., a 17-store dealership based in Birdsboro, Pa., told MTD. (Levengood is pictured with Brenda Beam.) “I think it was a good decision for Falken to enter the all-weather segment.”

SRNA officials also reported on the growth of the company’s Falken Fanatic associate dealer program, which now includes, according to SRNA officials, more than 14,000 members.

In an exclusive interview with MTD during the 2023 Falken Dealer Invitational, Darren Thomas, SRNA’s president and CEO, credited the Fanatic program’s growth to SRNA “taking the initiative to put 30 well-trained individuals on the street

“We’re still seeing a lot of all-terrain LT tires, so the WildPeak A/T 4W will be a good opportunity for us,” Tom Fanning of Southern Tire Mart LLC (with Tammy Fanning) told MTD.

“You can’t manufacture that type of expansion of distribution at wholesale. It takes brick-by-brick and now we’ve been doing this for four or five years, the math is prevailing and it has simply exploded our business. We’re putting all of our money there.”

When asked if SRNA has made recent enhancements to the Falken Fanatic program, Thomas said “We change it every day. Keeping it simple is one method that works. Always visiting dealers and always signing people up and understanding (that) attrition is part of it is another strategy that works. Without question, our FAST team maintains our relevance in the marketplace, no matter what pressures are out there.”

Thomas called Falken “the premier independent tire dealer’s brand. It’s a brand they can count on (for) margin.

They can count on some amount of protected distribution. It’s a brand they understand (that) when the consumer searches for the product online, they’re not going to be embarrassed by low retail

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price. If a tire dealer wants to sell a brand that’s easy, he’s not going to make much money on (Falken.) If a dealer wants to work to sell a brand and be rewarded, that’s our brand. The message that’s most important, as it relates to the Falken brand, is we are going to be unwavering in our support of small, independent tire dealers.”

all doom and gloom. We’re seeing better trajectories,” although the struggling TBR tire market is on track to experience a 16% drop in 2023.

Last year “was almost an anomaly” when it came to commercial truck tire shipments. “Now, we’re correcting” and numbers “are regressing to prepandemic levels,” he told dealers.

‘BACK TO LIFE’

DEALER REACTIONS

During the 2023 Falken Dealer Invitational, Chris de Rosales, SRNA’s director of market intelligence, provided an overview of the U.S. tire market.

“In the last three months, we’ve seen PLT shipments come back to life,” he said.

“We’re starting to see sellout come back to life. What’s driving that is vehicle miles traveled. This is what’s creating resilience in the market.”

SRNA, de Rosales added, also is seeing inventories within the industry stabilize. “Inventories have now made their way through a normal cycle. It’s not

Dealers at the event in Portugal told MTD that they are excited about the new products SRNA unveiled.

“We’re seeing a lot more of the allweather product,” said Paul Levengood, president of CJ’s Tire & Automotive Inc., a 17-store dealership based in Birdsboro, Pa. “I think it was a good decision for Falken to enter the all-weather segment.

I believe the Aklimate will do well for us.”

Levengood also praised the SRNA sales team.

“In our industry, it’s unfortunate that the concept of a (tire) salesperson has

been lost. But Falken has retained a lot of tire people.”

An all-weather product “is something SRNA needed to have,” said Joe Moore, vice president of purchasing for Point S. “And the WildPeak A/T A3 has been such a great product for a long time. I trust they’ve done their homework to take it to the next level. I like the changes they’ve made,” said Moore.

“We’re still seeing a lot of all-terrain LT tires, so the WildPeak A/T 4W will be a good opportunity for us,” Tom Fanning, who represented Southern Tire Mart LLC at the event, told MTD. “And I think it was smart for (SRNA) to come out with a spread-axle tire.”

The company, he said, “is a fantastic niche player. Their customer service is top-notch and they have well-placed products and programs. We consider Falken to be in the top of its tier and they have the horsepower of (parent company Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd.) behind them.”

OCTOBER 31 - NOVEMBER 3, 2023

NEW PRODUCTS RELEASING SOON

GT FORCE WHEEL WEIGHT TOOL

GAITHER OFFROAD KIT

PATENT PENDING

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Focus on Industry

The Potenza Sport AS is an extension of Bridgestone’s Potenza line, which features the Potenza RE71RS, the Potenza Race and the Potenza Sport.

Photo: MTD

Performing with Potenza

BRIDGESTONE INVESTS IN GROWING ALL-SEASON UHP SEGMENT By

Madison Gehring

B

ridgestone Americas Inc. is leaning into the growing all-season, ultra-high performance (UHP) tire segment with its new Potenza Sport AS tire.

The Potenza Sport AS is an extension of Bridgestone’s Potenza tire line, which includes the Potenza RE71RS, a street-legal track and competition tire; the Potenza Race; and the Potenza Sport, which is engineered for precision handling.

Bridgestone introduced the new tire via a recent ride-and-drive event held at the Atlanta Motor Sports Park in Dawsonville, Ga.

INVESTING IN ALL-SEASON

Will Robbins, director of consumer

70 2310MTD_70-73_FocusOn_BridgeStone.indd 70

product strategy for Bridgestone, says the Potenza Sport is the “bread and butter” of Bridgestone’s Potenza line, which is why the company wanted to build upon it.

“The Potenza line has been built on racing and being fast. We are really trying to push the brand — not only in racing, but also on the road, so we thought about how we could take the Potenza DNA and apply it to tires across the board.”

The Potenza Sport AS, which Bridgestone says is an evolution of its Potenza RE980 AS, features precision wet performance, responsive grip and improved winter capabilities, without compromising the Y speed rating of the tire.

The Potenza Sport AS also is Bridgestone Americas’ first UHP all-season

tire to feature Bridgestone ENLITEN technology, which is engineered to help optimize all-season performance and provide longer wear life.

And the tire is Bridgestone’s first UHP tire to incorporate PeakLife, a next-generation polymer technology that enhances resistance to wear, aiding in extending tire life.

It also features a solid rib design for improved handling and reduced noise; open shoulder slots to enhance water evacuation; full-depth 3D sipes for improved winter performance; a new tread compound and more.

The new product is currently available in 48 sizes, with 28 additional sizes to be launched in 2024. The 76 total sizes will MTD October 2023 9/26/23 12:13 PM

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Two Retread Casing Protection Coverage

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Focus on Industry fit wheels ranging from 16 inches to 22 inches in diameter.

ACHIEVING BALANCE

Dale Harrigle, chief engineer for replacement tire development at Bridgestone, says Bridgestone wanted to stretch the performance of its Potenza tires without trading off anything else.

“Each manufacturer has different

strategies with how they balance their performance,” says David Severyn, lead program engineer at Bridgestone.

“We responded to the market with the RE980AS and stretched that winter and wear performance because that’s what we saw that the consumers wanted. Now with the Potenza Sport AS, we feel we really have the perfect mix of performance and can still have that UHP wet and dry

United States Postal Service Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation (Requester Publications Only) 1. Publication Title: Modern Tire Dealer 2. Publication Number: 369170 3. Filing Date: 9/5/2023 4. Issue of Frequency: Monthly 5. Number of Issues Published Annually: 12 6. Annual Subscription Price: $81.25 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication (Not Printer): Endeavor Business Media, Contact Person: Tracy Skallman LLC, 1233 Janesville Ave, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538 Telephone: (818) 600-7156 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher (Not Printer): Endeavor Business Media, LLC,30 Burton Hills Blvd., Ste. 185., Nashville, TN 37215 9.

Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor - Publisher: Greg Smith, Endeavor Business Media, 3515 Massillon Rd., Ste. 200, Uniontown, OH 44685; Editor: Michael Manges, Endeavor Business Media, 3515 Massillon Rd., Ste. 200, Uniontown, OH 44685; Managing Editor: Joy Kopcha, Endeavor Business Media, 3515 Massillon Rd., Ste. 200, Uniontown, OH 44685

Owner - Full name and complete mailing address: Endeavor Media Holdings I, LLC, 905 Tower Place, Nashville, TN 37205; Endeavor Media Holdings II, LLC, 905 Tower Place, Nashville, TN 37205;Resolute Capital partners Fund IV, LP, 20 Burton Hills Blvd, Suite 430, Nashville, TN 37215;RCP Endeavor, Inc, 20 Burton Hills Blvd, Suite 430, ,Nashville, TN 37215;Northcreek Mezzanine Fund II, LP,312 Walnut Street, Suite 2310,Cincinnati, OH 45202;Invegarry Holdings, LP,44235 Hillsboro Pike,Nashville, TN 37215;Everside Fund II, LP,155 East 44th St, Suite 2101 - 10 Grand Central,New York, NY 10017Everside Endeavor F1 Blocker, LLC, 155 East 44th St, Suite 2101 - 10 Grand Central, New York, NY 10017;Everside Endeavor International Blocker, LLC, 155 East 44th St, Suite 2101 - 10 Grand Central, New York, NY 10017;Everside Founders Fund, LP, 155 East 44th St, Suite 2101 - 10 Grand Central, ,New York, NY 10017;Suncap Endeavor Blocker, LLC,155 East 44th St, Suite 2101 - 10 Grand Central,New York, NY 10017; 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages or Other Securities: None

performance that the enthusiasts want, but you’re still going to be able to make it up your driveway in the winter.”

THE POTENZA BENEFIT

According to Harrigle, Bridgestone’s Potenza line still benefits from its name recognition. (The Potenza name has been around since the 1970s.)

“We are expanding the Potenza family and seeing how we can expand its use from the street — from light snow use and all the way up to an absolute purpose race tire, so the Potenza Sport AS really fits into that family.”

Another benefit of the Potenza line is the emotion it evokes from consumers, according to Karina Gonzalez, senior manager in communications and consumer product technology for Bridgestone.

10.

12. Tax Status (For completion by nonprofit organizations authorized to mail at nonprofit rates) (Check one) The purpose, function, and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt status for federal income tax purposes: N/A 13. Publication Title: Modern Tire Dealer Average No. Copies 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data: September 2023 Each Issue During No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date Preceding 12 Months 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation a. Total Number of Copies (Net press run) 34,768 34,421 b. Legitimate Paid and/or Requested Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail) (1) Outside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541. (Include direct written 33,371 33,198 request from recipient, telemarketing and Internet requests from recipient, paid subscriptions including nominal rate subscriptions, employer requests, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies.)

(2) In-County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541. (Include direct written request from recipient, telemarketing and Internet requests from recipient, paid subscriptions including nominal rate subscriptions, employer requests, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies.)

0

0

(3) Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Paid or Requested Distribution Outside USPS®

0

0

0 33,371

33,198

1,016

841

0

0

c.

(4) Requested Copies Distributed by Other Mail Classes Through the USPS (e.g. First-Class Mail®) Total Paid and/or Requested Distribution (Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3), and (4))

d.

Nonrequested Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail) (1) Outside County Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541 (include Sample copies, Requests Over 3 years old, Requests induced by a Premium, Bulk Sales and Requests including Association Requests, Names obtained from Business Directories, Lists, and other sources) (2) In-County Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541 (include Sample copies, Requests Over 3 years old, Requests induced by a Premium, Bulk Sales and Requests including Association Requests, Names obtained from Business Directories, Lists, and other sources) (3) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Through the USPS by Other Classes of Mail (e.g. First-Class Mail, Nonrequestor Copies mailed in excess of 10% Limit mailed at Standard Mail® or Package Services Rates)

0

(4) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Outside the Mail (Include Pickup Stands, Trade Shows, Showrooms and Other Sources)

188

0

e.

Total Nonrequested Distribution (Sum of 15d (1), (2), (3), and (4))

1,204

841

f.

Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and 15e)

34,574

34,039

g.

Copies not Distributed

193

382

h.

Total (Sum of 15f and g)

34,768

34,421

i.

Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation (15c divided by 15f times 100)

96.52%

97.53%

Bridgestone unveiled its new Potenza Sport AS tire, which contains ENLITEN technology, PeakLife technology and other features. The tire will be available in 76 sizes, fitting wheels ranging from 16 inches to 22 inches in diameter.

Photo: MTD

16 Electronic Copy Circulation a.

Requested and Paid Electronic Copies

1,628

1,802

b.

Total Requested and Paid Print Copies (Line 15c)+ Requested/Paid Electronic Copies (Line 16a)

34,999

35,000

c.

Total Requested Copy Distribution Distribution(Line 15f) + Requested/Paid Electronic Copies

36,202

35,841

96.67%

97.65%

(Line 16a) d.

Percent Paid an/dor Requested Circulaltion (Both Print & Electronic Copies) (16b diveded by 16c x 100) x

I certify that 50% of all my distribution copies (electronic and print) are legitimate requests or paid copies:

17. Publication of Statement of Ownership for a Requester Publication is required and will be printed in the: issue of this publication.

18

Oct-23 Date

Tracy Skallman, Audience Development Manager

9/5/23

I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties).

PS Form 3526-R, July 2014

72

“Racing is something a lot of people aspire to do, but maybe can’t do,” she says.

“So when you stretch the Potenza line down to a more attainable view, then you can still feel a part of that family.

Customers can say, ‘Oh, I don’t have a supercar, but I have this type of car that I can put the Potenza Sport AS on,’ so they feel connected to something they’re passionate about.”

MTD October 2023

#

Information Classification: General

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WHERE CONNECTIONS ARE BUILT

DON’T MIS

N A H C T S S OUT, L A

!

R E T S I G E CE TO R

2 0 2 3A , 3 R E B M O V E • L AS VEGAS, NEVAD N — 1 3 R E B TO NTER

O C GAS CONVENTION CE L AS V E

SEMAS

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M/REG H O W. C O

ISTER

9/26/23 12:13 PM 9/14/23 9:06 AM

TPMS

Kia Soul – 2022 DESCRIPTION & OPERATION

The tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) continuously monitors pressure and temperature inside the tire in order to warn the driver of the changes in tire pressure. The TPMS control module analyzes the data from the sensors attached inside each wheel, determines tire conditions and generates a signal that is necessary for warning lamp control.

By detecting the pressure, temperature, acceleration, and battery condition, transmit information to ECU by a wireless RF. Wheel location is recognized by comparing the Wheel Pulse of ECS (ABS) and acceleration values of the sensor (High Line).

TROUBLESHOOTING

Turn IG OFF and then IG ON again to check the warning light type.

Warning lamp types:

• Stays on without blinking: Low pressure tire warning lamp.

• Flashes constantly at half-second intervals: Initial state warning lamp.

• Cluster blinks for one minute at one second intervals, then turns ON: Error code warning lamp. There’s a TPMS receiver and TPMS sensor failure.

NOTE: In case the warning lamp fails to turn OFF after injecting tire pressure, disconnect the GDS and drive less than 1 km at 25 km/h.

• Low tire pressure warning lamp cold: Vehicle kept for more than 60 minutes after stopping.→ 0.07 kgf/cm2 (1.0 psi) additional injection at the specified tire pressure. Hot: Driven vehicle→ 0.28 kgf/cm2 (4.0 psi) additional injection at the specified tire pressure.

Inspect initial state warning lamp.

In the event of a blinking warning lamp: Enter sensor ID; enter vehicle name; enter VIN; change TPMS ECU mode to Standard mode.

MEMORIZING THE SENSOR ID

TPMS Automatic Location Learning

1. General Function Auto-learn takes place only once per Ignition cycle. On successful completion, four road wheel sensor IDs are latched into memory for monitoring.

TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS Component

Ft.-lbs.

(N.m)

Wheel nut

79.6 - 94.0 (107.9 - 127.5)

TPMS Retrofit Kit For pre-2008 passenger vehicles and light trucks without factory TPMS

• Versatile: Fits 4 to 6 tire configurations • Off-Road Ready: Adaptable for varied

tire pressure needs, ideal for off-road use

Visit Schrader: BOOTH #43109

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BOOTH #A3044

www.SchraderTPMS.com

9/20/23 11:18 AM

MTD October 2023 9/26/23 12:13 PM

TPMS Until auto-learn completes, previously learned sensors are monitored for under inflation/leak warnings.

2. Learn New Sensors Receiver must determine it is confident that sensor is not temporary. The typical time to learn a new sensor is up to 20 minutes while driving continuously over 15.5 mph (25 kph).

3. Un-learn a Removed Sensor The wheel angular velocity of wheels is different in the following cases: • Slip for each axis occurs differently.

• Rotation radius (the radius of curve) for each wheel is different.

• Tire wear, internal pressure, tire specifications, etc. for each tire are different.

TPMS sensor is transmitted to RF signal at only specific phase (the angle of the tire) in the learning mode.

TPMS receiver checks each tire phase (angle) information from sensor signal.

Every time RF signals from sensor IDs one, two, three and four are received, the ID with the highest correlation among the phase of each collected wheel is transmitted. (In other words, each time RF signal is received, the phase of the tire is transmitted to the most constant wheel.)

TPMS sensor transmits the RF signal at intervals of 16 seconds in the learning mode.

After stopping or parking for more than 19 minutes, automatic learning function in every position is performed.

7. While holding the housing with two fingers, push in the valve in the axial direction with another finger.

8. The housing laser marking should be visible.

9. When the valve is fully inserted, start tightening the nut several times by hand while keeping the sensor contacting the rim.

10. Mount the nut using a tool while maintaining the position of the valve and the sensor.

11. Apply tire soap or lubrication to the top and bottom tire beads.

12. To fit the bottom bead, position the sensor at the 5 o’clock position relative to the head on the tire changing machine.

13. Place the tire on the rim so the bottom bead touches the edge of the rim after the sensor ( at the 6 o’clock position). Rotate the rim clockwise and push down on the tire at the 3 o’clock position to fit bottom bead.

14. After bottom bead is on tire, rotate the rim until the sensor is at the

5 o’clock position relative to the head on the tire changing machine. Push down on the tire at the 3 o’clock position and rotate the rim clockwise to fit the top bead.

15. Inflate the tire until both beads seat.

16. In case of TPMS sensor failure, TPMS sensor learning is needed.

Inspection After Installing TPMS Sensor

Seal washer must be compressed on the outer surface of rim hole. The lower part of the valve must locate in the set position (within metal bracket) of the housing.

One or more points of the housing must contact the surface of the wheel.

The mounting height of the housing must not exceed the sill of the wheel. ■ Information for this column comes from the tire pressure monitoring systems data in ProDemand, Mitchell 1’s auto repair information software for domestic and import vehicles. Headquartered in San Diego, Mitchell 1 has provided quality repair information solutions to the automotive industry since 1918. For more information, visit www.mitchell1.combe installed to ensure airtight sealing.

TIRE PRESSURE SENSOR REMOVAL AND INSTALLATION Replacement

1. Remove the valve core and deflate tire.

2. Remove the side of the tire bead area from the wheel using tire changer. The tire bead should be broken approx. 90 degrees from the valve side of the wheel.

The bead breaker should not be set too deep. Avoid contact with the valve while demounting and end near the valve.

3. Rotate the wheel clockwise.

4. Check for deviation of the valve (air inlet portion in silver) during transportation and assemble the valve in the indented state from the original position (metal brackets).

5. To prevent the valve from rotating and deviating the set position while the nut is being tightened, push the valve into the set position (inside the metal brackets). Tighten to the specified torque (8 Nm) and do not reuse the nut.

6. Push the valve into the valve hole so that the seal washer touches the rim. w w w . M o d e r n T i r e D e a l e r. c o m

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POWER PRODUCTS

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?

Agricultural tires All-terrain, mud-terrain & rugged-terrain tires All-weather tires Construction & industrial tires The EV tires Power Products HP & UHP tires Light truck tires section also covers Sport-utility tires TPMS and tools Touring tires for your Trailer tires technicians.

Truck tires Winter tires

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IN POWER PRODUCTS YOU’LL FIND:

9/26/23 12:12 PM

POWER PRODUCTS

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POWER PRODUCTS

ExtremeContact™ Sport02

SportContact™ 7

ExtremeContact™ DWS06 Plus

A dynamic, summer ultra-high performance tire for passenger cars, the ExtremeContact™ Sport02 ranges in size from 15-21" rim diameter.

An adaptive, summer ultra-high performance tire for passenger cars, crossovers and SUVs, the SportContact™ 7 ranges in size from 19-23” rim diameter.

A premium, all-season ultra-high performance tire for passenger cars, crossovers and SUVs, the ExtremeContact™ DWS06 Plus ranges in size from 16-22" rim diameter.

PureContact™ LS

TrueContact™ Tour

CrossContact™ LX25

A luxury, all-season touring tire for passenger cars and crossovers, the PureContact™ LS ranges in size from 16-20" rim diameter.

A long-lasting, all-season touring tire for passenger cars and crossovers, the TrueContact™ Tour ranges in size from 15-19" rim diameter.

A premium, all-season touring tire for crossovers and SUVs, the CrossContact™ LX 25 ranges in size from 16-22" rim diameter.

TerrainContact™ ainContact™ H/T

TerrainContact™ A/T

VikingContact™ 7

A premium, all-season touring tire for SUVs and light trucks, the TerrainContact™ H/T ranges in size from 16-22" rim diameter.

A premium, all-season all-terrain tire for crossovers, SUVs and light trucks, the TerrainContact™ A/T ranges in size from 16-22" rim diameter.

A premium winter tire for passenger cars, crossovers, SUVs and light trucks, the VikingContact™ 7 ranges in size from 15-22" rim diameter.

C O N T I N E N T A LT I R E . C O M

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9/19/23 1:10 PM 9/26/23 12:12 PM

POWER PRODUCTS

OCTOBER 31 - NOVEMBER 3, 2023

TRAC TIRE JACK

BEAD BAZOOKA® (GEN 2)

MOORE-SAFE LOWPROFILE BOTTLE JACK

MOORE-SAFE JACK

NEW PRODUCTS RELEASING SOON

GT FORCE WHEEL WEIGHT TOOL

GAITHER OFF-ROAD KIT

PATENT PENDING

EXCLUSIVE SEMA SPECIALS & LIVE DEMOS AT BOOTH #43181 LOWER SOUTH HALL

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT SALES@GAITHERTOOL .COM OR CALL 217-245-0545 SALES@GAITHERTOOL.COM

2310MTD_GaitherTool_PowerProduct.indd 1 2310MTD_76-89_PowerProduct.indd 79

9/21/23 1:26 PM 9/26/23 12:12 PM

POWER PRODUCTS

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9/19/23 1:17 PM 9/26/23 12:13 PM

POWER PRODUCTS

DRIVE HOME ON TIRES THAT WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS.

Kyle Greaves

2022 Pro-Lite Champion - Champ Off-Road 2023 Champion - Mid-America Outdoors Truck Series 2023 Crandon World Champion - Pro Lite

KLEVER A/T2

KLEVER R/T

NEW

KLEVER M/T2

With the Kenda Klever tire range, you can drive straight from the podium to the pavement on the same tires that professional drivers like Kyle Greaves use on the track to take home the championship. With the A/T2, R/T and the NEW M/T2, there is a Klever tire for any driving conditions you want to take on.

KLEVER A/T2

Series: 85, 80, 75, 70, 65, 60, 55, 50 Sizes: 20, 18, 17, 16, 15 Load Ranges: E, C Speed Ratings: R, S, T • 3-Peak Mountain/ Snowflake Certified

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KLEVER R/T

Series: 80, 75, 70, 65, 55 Sizes: 22, 20, 18, 17, 16 Load Ranges: D, E, F Speed Rating: R • Triple Threat 3-ply sidewall • Studable • 6 sizes available with Raised Red Lettering

KLEVER M/T2

Series: 85 — 60 & Floatation Sizes: 22, 20, 18, 17, 16, 15 Load Ranges: C, D, E, F Speed Ratings: Q, R • Triple Threat 3-ply sidewall • 6 sizes available with Raised Red Lettering

9/14/23 3:47 PM 9/26/23 12:13 PM

POWER PRODUCTS

THE DEFINITION OF

PREMIUM

ACCESSIBILITY ACCE WE DON’T BELIEVE PREMIUM PRODUCTS S H O U L D O N LY B E F O R T H E F E W.

RENEGADE X

RENEGADE RT

ALL SEASON EV

The Renegade-X is an extreme terrain tire range engineered for drivers that need extreme off-road performance on mud, rocks, gravel and sand. Featuring a reverse radius shoulder that allows for better performance with traction in mud, a patented triple tie bar for more stable treadblocks and exceptional handling in any terrain, and a stealth center block with zig-zag design for superior mud penetration and traction. Available in sizes ranging from 17” to 24” rim diameter.

The Renegade R/T is a rugged terrain tire range that is designed to give exceptional off-road performance,with on-road comfort and sophistication. On-paved roads, this tire gives drivers superior handling with a quiet and smooth ride, while off-road it can go anywhere that a pure M/T tire can. All sizes come with a Dual Sidewall design and gives drivers a choice of either the mud penetrating sidewall with dagger shaped lugs or the flaming demon design with wedge-shaped lugs for added traction and sidewall protection. Available in sizes ranging from 17” to 24”rim diameter and offers up to 45,000 Mile Treadwear warranty and Road Hazard warranty.

The All Season EV is a premium tire range that has been engineered and intensively tested to meet the specific requirements of the latest Electric Vehicles (EVs). This range offers lower rolling resistance for increased range, enhanced safety and stability in all seasons, high mileage as well as a quiet and comfortable driving experience. An ideal choice for the latest EVs. Currently available in sizes ranging from 18” to 20” rim diameter and offers 40,000 Mile Treadwear warranty and Road Hazard warranty.

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POWER PRODUCTS

RMR51 A regional steer / all position tire with integrated sipes for superior all-weather traction and cooler running for extended tread life.

RDR52 A closed shoulder drive tire with 3D matrix sipes and integrated blocks with tie bars for dependable traction and uniform wear.

RDR65 An open shoulder drive tire with 3D matrix sipes, integrated blocks, and stone ejectors providing a stable footprint with high traction and even wear.

RTR51 A trailer tire with multi-dimensional full-depth sipes, corrugated cooling fins and a chamfered solid shoulder for higher mileage and even wear.

RDR55 An open shoulder drive tire with a wide shoulder, balanced rib ratio, and optimized groove angle for improved tread and casing life.

RAC55 A durable all position tire built for construction and waste environments with an enhanced chip/cut compound, open shoulders, stone ejectors, and integrated blocks for maximum performance for on/off highway use.

RALSON TIRE NORTH AMERICA, INC. 725 Cool Springs Blvd., ste 330 | Franklin, TN 37067 615.985.TIRE (8473) | 844.985.TIRE (8473) toll free contactRTNA@ralson.com

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RalsonTires.com

9/19/23 9:24 AM 9/26/23 12:13 PM

POWER PRODUCTS

TPMS Retrofit Kit Elevate your tire safety with Schrader’s NEW TPMS Retrofit Kit, designed for pre-2008 passenger vehicles and light trucks without factory TPMS, offering precise monitoring, under-inflation alerts, and adaptability for off-road applications.

Benefits: • Versatile: Fits 4 to 6 tire configurations • Safety: Monitors tire pressure, temperature, and alerts for

under-inflation • Off-Road Ready: Adaptable for varied tire pressure needs,

ideal for off-road use

www.SchraderTPMS.com Visit Schrader: BOOTH #A3044

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BOOTH #43109

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POWER PRODUCTS

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POWER PRODUCTS

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POWER PRODUCTS

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POWER PRODUCTS

www.yokohama-oht.com

ALLIANCE 550 AND 551 MULTIUSE RADIALS

READY FOR ANY CHALLENGE. IN ANY SEASON. The Alliance 550 Multiuse and 551 Multiuse Professional radials are like the perfect pair of boots—comfortable, versatile, and ready for what the job or the trail might require.

In sand, mud or snow, the blocks of their unique, hybrid treads grip in all directions with hundreds of biting edges. On pavement, their large, even footprints—backed by steel radial belts—provide outstanding all-weather traction and even wear. And their dense centerline blocks are smooth and steady on the road.

For tractors, backhoes, loaders and more, the Alliance 550 Multiuse radial is a top all-around performer. Got lots of snow and ice? Check out the siped tread blocks of the Alliance 551 Multiuse Professional.

And for construction and industrial sites, the Alliance 585 provides long-lasting, all-season performance ideal for backhoes, compact loaders and telehandlers on a wide range of surfaces.

ALLIANCE 550 MULTIUSE RADIAL • S-block centerline provides smooth, steady ride on pavement • Unique hybrid tread optimizes grip and self-cleaning

ALLIANCE 551 MULTIUSE PROFESSIONAL • Siped tread blocks for extra grip in snow, ice and sand • Special all-weather compound

ALLIANCE 585 CONSTRUCTION/INDUSTRIAL • Perfect for backhoes, compact loaders and telehandlers • Large blocks and deep tread for long service life

800-343-3276 | @yokohamaohta

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POWER PRODUCTS

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

PAGE

WEBSITE

1-800EveryRim OEM Wheels

35

www.1800everyrim.com

31 Incorporated

26

www.31inc.com

ACDC

44

www.fixhybrid.com

Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance

29

www.alaskanadventure2023.com

American Omni Trading

45

www.american-omni.com/cropmax

American Omni Trading

71

www.american-omni.com/transmax

Ascenso Tires North America

48

www.ascensotiresna.com

Atlas Automotive Equipment

65

www.atlasautoequipment.com

Atturo Tires

5

www.atturo.com

Autel

39

www.autel.com

BKT USA Inc.

11

www.bkt-tires.com

Bridgestone

21

www.bridgestonetire.com

Continental Tire

13

www.continentaltire.com

Cosmo Tires

23

www.cosmotires.com

Gaither Tool Company Inc.

69

www.gaithertool.com

General Tire

25

www.generaltire.com/promotion

Fury Tires

37

www.furytires.com

Greenball Corporation

61

www.greenballtires.com

GT Radial

27

www.gtradial.com

Hunter Engineering Company

57

www.hunter.com/hawkeye-xl

K&M Tire Inc.

59

www.kmtire.com/mrtire

Kenda Tires USA

IBC

www.kendatractionrewards.com

Maxxis Tires

41

www.maxxis.com

Mighty Auto Parts

67

www.mightyautoparts.com

Milton Industries

68

www.miltonindustries.com

Nitto Tire U.S.A. Inc.

OBC

www.nittotire.com

Pre-Q Galgo Corporation

55

www.pre-q.com

Prinx Chengshan Tire North America Inc.

28

www.fortunetireusa.com

Radar Tires

19

www.radartires.com/premium

Ralson Tires North America Inc.

63

www.ralsontires.com

Ranger A Division of BendPak

49

www.bendpak.com/trusensor

Schrader TPMS Solutions

74

www.schradertpms.com

SEMA Show

73

www.semashow.com/register

Sentury “Tire USA

17

www.delintetires.com

The Carlstar Group

43

www.carlstar.com

Tireco Inc.

7

www.milestartires.com

Transamerica Tire Company Ltd.

IFC

www.predatortires.com

Trimax Tire

75

www.trimaxtire.com

Versatyre Tires

9

www.versatyre.com

Vredestein Tires

31

www.vredestein.com

Western Tires Inc.

38

www.jktyre-usa.com

WheelerShip LLC

42

www.wheelership.com

Yokohama Off-Highway Tires America Inc.

15

www.yokohama-oht.com

Yokohama Tire

33

www.yokohamatire.com

ZC Rubber America Inc.

47

www.arisuntires.com

Zeta Tyres

34

www.zeta-tyres.com

90 2310MTD_90-C4_AdIndex.indd 90

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MTD October 2023 9/26/23 12:12 PM

2302MT

BUY MORE, EARN MORE.

Join the New and Improved 2023 Kenda Traction Associate Dealer Program and Earn More Rewards with Each Tire Purchase.

Earn Quarterly Cash-Back Rewards

Premium Performance at a Value Price for Consumers

Dealer Locator on KendaTire.com

Strong Margin Opportunities for Dealers

Enhanced Dealer Performance Dashboard

Full Product Screen: Ohio-Designed for North American Market

‘Double Dollar’ Promotions Flexible Payment Options

Kenda Traction Payout Chart Tier 1

Improved Mobile Access US-Based Sales Support & Warranty Team Trade Area Management for Dealer Success Realistic MAP Policy

Tier 2

Tier 3

Quarterly Unit Purchases

60

250

400

Annual Unit Purchases

240

1000

1600

Traction Dollars per Tire

$1.00

$2.00

$3.00

Purchases are tracked and reported by your distributor so all you have to focus on is how you’re going to spend your rewards.

Learn more about becoming a Kenda Traction associate dealer at KendaTractionRewards.com.

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