SOTI 2015 Archives - Tire Review Magazine

More

U.S. Economy Searching for its True North

By Dr. Timothy Nash and Dr. Keith Pretty The latest revision of first quarter 2015 U.S. GDP was revised upward to 0.6% with the first estimate of second quarter U.S. GDP reported at 2.3% growth as of July 31. Early estimates predicted that GDP would improve to perhaps as high as 2.4% growth in the

OTR a Real Mixed Bag

The off-the-road tire segment of the overall tire industry is, admittedly, a niche market. But, at roughly 10% of the global $170-plus billion tire industry, it is a sizeable niche and one that provides some interesting opportunities for all commercial tire dealers, whether they consider themselves OTR sellers or not. Last year, a good friend

OTR-Tire-Footprint
Ag: Still a Tough Row to Hoe

This certainly is not your father’s agricultural tire market. In these increasingly volatile times, people and events across the globe are more connected in more ways than ever before. Extreme drought conditions in the Western U.S. and historical wet conditions in other areas of the Americas impact crop prices in Europe. Raw material prices in

China: Exposed and Explained

When Jim Smith, editor of Tire Review, asked me to write this piece, he said, “Americans don’t really understand how China works.” So he asked me to try and explain it in 1,800 words, more or less. In some ways, China is similar to the U.S. The consumer tire market is completely different from the

Preparing for Chip Cards and the EMV Switch

Gone are the days of credit card swipes being the common form of retail transactions. A credit card with a small computer chip called an “EMV” will begin its takeover Oct. 1, 2015, which also marks the shift in fraud liability on credit card charges. After years of success in Europe, the EMV cards are

Retreading Faces Pressures

  When I was asked to contribute an article forecasting what the future held for the truck tire retread market during the next 12 months the first thought that came to my mind was “China.” Although I am writing this while sitting in my office in California, I am well aware that Tire Review has

Trucking Going Strong Despite Challenges

The economy is not great, but not too bad. We’re halfway through 2015, which means we’re also well into the sixth year of recovery since the Great Recession “officially” ended. Based on historical data and the fact recessions are cyclical, you would assume that another recession looms in our future. The good news is that

U.S. Heavy Duty Commercial Vehicle Market in Great Shape

The U.S. heavy-duty truck and trailer markets will both have a near record year in 2015.  However, the demand for commercial vehicles is expected to peak later this year, so there is concern in the industry about sales activity in 2016 and beyond. Both markets experienced record or near-record order years in 2014, with trailers

Women Tire Buyers Really Want to be Educated

She walks into your dealership and you already have her pegged. She doesn’t know much about tires, you think, and she most likely hasn’t put any effort into researching them before coming. After all, buying tires isn’t really her responsibility anyway; it’s her male partner’s. She probably just has a lot of spare time, so

What Independent Dealers Mean in Today’s World

In an age where they are under constant attack from new car dealers, national chains and online retailers, the independent tire dealer continues to thrive. Despite increased competition from traditional automotive repair chains, there are still thousands of family-owned and operated tire dealers serving their communities each day. I’ve been representing these businesses in Washington,

How ‘Buy Local’ Can Change Your World

To many people, the economy may seem like some far-off issue that we as individuals have no control over. In fact the opposite is true. The American public holds the power to have tremendous impact on the local and national economy in many ways. The easiest is through two simple words: ‘Buy Local.’ The Buy

South Carolina: On a Roll

South Carolina is on a roll. Recently dubbed the ‘It’ state, with a growing reputation for making premium cars and planes, South Carolina has long had the legacy as a leader in tire manufacturing. With four of the top 10 global tire manufacturers located in our state and a 40-year track record of making quality