Just in Case
You never know when someone famous is going to clock out, so most newspapers have a drawer full of pre-written obituaries at the ready. We have a similar system here. Below is a sample, though we hope we’ll never have to use this one. WELLSBOTTOM, Va. ®“ Yesterday at 7 p.m., Billy Throneberry turned the
Beating Goliath: How Can Small Independent Tire Shop Compete
They have economies of scale, which gives them enormous buying power. They can afford national ad campaigns and expensive PR programs. They have ready access to the latest technologies to run their supply chains and streamline their operations. Relatively speaking, their overall costs are low. They are the national retailers, the mass merchants, the big-box
Complete Hiring/Firing Guide
What are the three most important factors in retailing success? Location, location, location? Nope – they are staff, staff, staff. Personnel experts contend that poor hiring decisions are the main causes of absenteeism and poor productivity, which ultimately result in employee turnover and profit loss. The smaller your business, the more important each person. Just
Secrets of Winter Tires
Ordinarily used in the same sentence with cooking oils, canola has found a new niche at Nokian Tyre’s winter tire plant in Finland. That’s where the "low-sat-fat" oil is mixed into Nokian Hakkapeliitta winter tire tread compounds. "It increases the tear resistance of rubber and improves the tire’s grip in winter and wet conditions," says
Get Pumped Up: Longer Tire Life, Fuel Savings Claims Heat Up Nitrogen Inflation
The gas from the past is making news again, and this time the story has legs. There’s nothing new about nitrogen inflation of tires. It’s been around since Texan Dr. Larry Sperberg brought it to our attention in 1968. That’s when he pronounced that a tire wears out from the inside out – a process
Hot Winter Wheels
If you’re busy ordering winter tires right now, don’t forget about the wheels. It’s July. It’s hot. You’re about to melt, and it’s time to think about winter wheels? That’s right ®“ winter wheel season will be creeping upon us in a few months. So, why not talk about winter wheels now? Just like winter
Spoils of Success
What if your next ad campaign was a huge success? What if you advertised in the local paper, and your sales suddenly skyrocketed? What if customers came into your dealership in droves because of a letter you mailed out? You’d be announcing your retirement, I bet. Not so fast. Before you quit your day job,
Livin’ Large
em handy. Over time, you’ll learn most of the bolt patterns and offsets available for each vehicle. Let’s walk through a sale. Your customer has a 1999 Honda Accord with factory 15-inch wheels. This vehicle is a good example to use for this exercise for several reasons. First, it’s a very popular car for customizing.
13 Hidden Sales Boosters: Sales Sagging? Pick Them Up With These Not-So-Secret Opportunities
“Dang it! This is the fourth month we haven’t made our sales target. What’s going on? I’ll bet it was that last price increase. Those tire companies just keep hitting us for more and more, and we can barely get any tires! And, betcha that new discounter in the next town is getting all my
United to Dynamic: Despite Family History, Dynamic’s Sherkin Not Looking Backward
The Sherkin family has a prominent place in the Canadian tire industry. Harry Sherkin started United Tire back in 1944 buying and selling retreads. Brothers Morris, Charles and Joseph joined the company as it grew into a major retreader, private brander and, finally, a manufacturer. The family business was sold to Pensler Capital Corp. in
Heavyweight Challenge: Understanding Customers’ Pain Points Can Boost Your Medium Truck Tire Sales
Turns out country singers are right ®“ a trucker’s life is hard. But we’re not talking about lonely stretches of highway. We’re talking business. “There will be a serious strain on the supply of medium truck tires available in 2004, and possibly through 2006, both at the OE and dealer levels,” says Ron Gilbert, director
Inside Information: RFID Technology Bolsters Tire Management
Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology isn’t new. But when it comes to using RFID technology to track truck tires instead of a skid of laundry soap, what’s old is becoming new again. At his trailer yard in Moses Lake, Wash., Lee McGraw, equipment maintenance manager for regional carrier LTI, scans the tires on 21 tractors