Change in Plans: Despite Recession-Driven Cuts, Toyo Chief Sees Opportunities
When Kenji Nakakura took over aspresident and CEO of Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. on Jan. 1, 2008, henever imagined just how hard that job would become. Just months intothe job, the world financial markets melted down and tire sales wentfrom slow to abysmal. Instead of steering the company toward its 70thanniversary in 2015 on
5 Questions With – Masatoshi Komai
Masatoshi Komai was recently installed as the head of Nitto brand sales worldwide. A long-time Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. employee, Komai is now the general manager of sales department No. 5, a group totally dedicated to the Nitto brand – handling everything from market exploration to product development to production planning to marketing. Tomo
All in the Family: Running a Successful Family Business
Today the most commonly accepted meaning is that blood-related familymembers are to be considered more important than non-family members. Withfew exceptions, that seems to be the mantra for tire dealers who havestarted or inherited a family-owned business. While the “blood” happensto be a common bond, most involved agree that running the business withfamily has more
Private Brand Tires Still Offer Added Profits
Despite a shrinking market, fallout from an economic recession andtough price competition from overseas, the private brand tire segmentstill offers dealers the potential for added profits and exclusivity intheir own markets. The private brand segment has seen easierdays, to be sure, but it is still relevant in today’s marketplace. Withthe improved logistical capabilities of private
Twitiots & Me: When Old School Editor Goes New School, Bad Things Happen
Twitter I just don’t get. Fact is, the entire “social media” thing escapes me. It’s not media – there is no “news” involved – it’s just a bunch of people socializing…if you can even call it that. I’m an old-school guy. I still read newspapers – what few there are – and have a landline
Back to Even: Level June Backs Up Surprising May Reversal
Level is certainly better than negative. So U.S. tire dealers should be happy that preliminary results show that tire unit and auto service sales for June were level with those of June 2008. Click here for July 2009 charts And that result follows a May that saw tire and service sales stay even with the
Keeping Quiet: How to Solve Noise, Vibration and Harshness Complaints
If there is anything that frustrates a tire tech, it’s the matter of resolving noise, vibration and harshness issues. The first hurdle is figuring out what the customer is hearing or feeling compared to what the tech hears or feels on a test drive. No two people are the same, so “persistent” NVH problems are
Shifting Sizes: Keeping Up is Key as OEMs Roll Out New Models
Earlier this year, we spoke to a number of tire and wheel manufacturers to find out where the size trend is heading. What we found was while aftermarket wheel manufacturers are moving to smaller diameter wheels, OEMs are still pushing tire manufacturers to build larger diameter UHP tires that deliver style, performance and high treadwear
July 2009 Sales Intelligence
Covering Colorado Springs, Colo.; Duluth, Minn.; Memphis, Tenn.; New Orleans, La.; Providence, R.I.; and Tacoma, Wash., retail tire markets during period of June 9-11. For this monthly feature, InteliChek directly contacts a selection ofindependent tire dealers, mass merchants and car dealers to obtaincurrent pricing on replacement tires and vehicle services. InteliChekrequests and verifies retail prices