Encountering Value
Outside of the medium truck tire realm, the Sumitomo brand and independent tire dealers have not enjoyed a close relationship. Often associated with Sears Auto Centers (not any longer), judging by the results in the most recent Tire Review Tire Brands Study, dealers don’t see a lot in Sumitomo consumer tires; they rated near the
Bald Dump Tires Nearly Kill Students; Korea’s Messy Labor World
On Aug. 27, a large truck owned by G.B. Green Construction Management was involved in an accident with an Escambia County, Fla., school district bus carrying students. Fifteen Pensacola High School students and the bus driver were injured, and transported to local hospitals. None of the injuries were life-threatening, fortunately. The bus, though, was knocked
Safety Must Drive Tire Registration Conversation
You’ll see on page 8 of this issue that Tia Disagrees with my take that our industry’s two associations aren’t really speaking with each other. I will say only that, respectfully, we will agree to disagree. That lack of relationship – not just being “in agreement” – does matter, for a lot of reasons. Real
State Association Goes on Ice, And We’re All Poorer For It
It pained me to hear the news about the New Jersey State Tire Dealers Association going on hiatus. Mergers, buyouts and a general lack of interest by independent tire dealers in the state contributed to NJSTDA president and friend of the show Al Breese informing membership that everything was going on ice for the foreseeable
Suppliers React to Claims Made About Chinese Truck Tires
Recently, former TIA president Peggy Fisher, who is well-known and respected throughout the trucking industry, wrote an article that was, well, a little disparaging and generalized about China-made radial truck tires sold in the U.S. I have every confidence that you’ll either know about it already, or can find it. Twice within the last week,
The Evolving Tire Landscape
Thirty years ago it was a much different world. Fax machines had just become a thing. There was no Internet, no such thing as a cellphone let alone a smart one, and the first PCs were appearing in offices. In the tire universe, we were still busy radializing consumer and truck tires; OTR and agricultural
Hagan: Linglong Americas is Truly Building for the Future
John Hagan’s varied 26-year tire industry career is instructive of how he got to his current post as COO of Linglong Americas Inc., and driving the Chinese tiremaker’s North American ambitions. Hagan started as a credit manager for Pirelli in 1989, moving to financial analyst and customer service manager. In 1994 he took his first
Thinking Out Loud About History, Laws and Run-Flat Tires
One of my favorite quotes is “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” That was written by the Harvard educated Spanish philosopher, essayist and novelist George Santayana. Our collective history is well-dotted by instances where we failed to recall or understand past failings, only to be reminded once we have failed yet
Restoring the Peace: Ending the RMA/TIA Deadlock
“Americans and British are one people separated only by a common language.” That George Bernard Shaw quote, famously hijacked by Winston Churchill during the war, pointed plainly to how deep cultural differences can divide the opinions and actions of people who otherwise should in close alignment. Beyond making tires, Goodyear and Michelin, for example, share
New ContiTech HQ, R&D Center Near Akron Officially Unveiled
ContiTech unveiled its new-look North American headquarters yesterday, with ContiTech NAFTA CEO Jim Hill pledging that the new organization would focus on its customers by bringing a wider range of new products to them. “We will continue to provide the same top-quality products and services to our existing customers and now, as a member of
An Open Invitation to the RMA and TIA: Let’s Meet and Talk
“The English and the Americans are two peoples divided by a common language.” That George Bernard Shaw quote, famously hijacked by Winston Churchill during the war, pointed plainly to how deep cultural differences can divide the opinions and actions of people who otherwise should in close alignment. Beyond making tires, Goodyear and Michelin, for example,
Hercules Shifts Expectations
Billed as “the tire you didn’t see coming,” the new Hercules Raptis R-T5 merges the best attributes of a UHP radial with a high-mileage all-season touring tire, according to the company, into a product that both challenges the perceptions of a so-called “value brand” and shifts the expectations for performance, innovation and technology. The Raptis
