2009 Editions Archives - Page 3 of 12 - Tire Review Magazine
Get Max Value When You Sell Your Business

What If you decided to sell your business? How would you do it? How would you price it? What would you do today to protect its value? You just turned 63 after spending a sometimes rewarding and always challenging 30 years as the owner of your own tire dealership.   You still have that desire

The Most Important Environmentally Friendly Products In The World

Every time a tire is retreaded many gallons of oil are saved and one more tire is kept out of scrap tire piles. Hundreds of millions of passenger cars, trucks and all types of commercial vehicles worldwide have safely been using retreaded tires for many years. Even commercial and military airlines worldwide are users of

Road Testing Customer Vehicles: Question of Quality

Road testing your customer’s vehicle after completing service and repair work is a good idea, for many reasons. Obviously it’s very important to verify the quality of your work to ensure customer satisfaction. However, validating the safety of the vehicle after work is complete can also help reduce your liability risks. Safety Concerns The safety

Training Is An Attitude

During the 1920s, the term “model year” gained currency in an automotive industry that was determined to increase its sales by annually introducing new automobiles to a motoring public hungry for the prestige of owning the latest motor vehicle technology. Because the operative word in “model year” is “change,” an outside observer would assume that

Wrong Pulleys Can Cause Belt Drive System Failure

Tire dealers and other auto repair businesses that install remanufactured alternators should make sure to verify that their units are equipped with overrunning alternator decoupler (OAD) pulleys, experts warn. OADs are becoming very common as a growing number of late-model vehicles now require this technology. Installing a non-decoupler pulley on an OAD application can lead

Commercial Dealers Can Improve Response, Revenue

Before the fleetHQ Solution Center began handling Donald B. Rice Tire Co.’s after-hour calls, the tire dealer’s customers may have had better luck reaching a medical or law office than getting the right tire for their trucks. “Our after-hour calls were being answered by a local answering service that also works for doctors and lawyers,”

Five Questions With – Anthony Lee

Anthony Lee is the lead light truck development engineer for Nitto Tire USA, and was responsible for Nitto’s new Trail Grappler M/T line. Take us through what is different about the Trail Grappler M/T compared to competitive products. “We’ve focused mainly on concerns from customers. We did a lot of market research prior to develop

Getting Closer: Tire, Service Sales Almost Level with Last Year’s Marks

After showing a continued improvement in sales of both tires and service in May and June, our nationwide panel of tire dealers says that July-September vehicle service sales remained just 2% off last year’s mark, and tire sales were down just 1% year-over-year. July’s final tire sales results, according to the Tire Review Dealer Panel,

Getting ‘Green:’ Reduce, Reuse, Recycle to Reignite Your Business

By now it’s clear that the whole "green" movement is more than just a fad. In fact, successful businesses everywhere have adapted their operations to cater to consumers who are looking for more environmentally friendly products and services. While consumers may not base their purchasing decisions solely on this aspect, it does come into consideration

2009 Top Shop Winner: Enger Tire & Auto

Jim Enger is no control freak. When you have 20 retail stores, three warehouses, two parts outlets and associated business interests spread over 10 of the largest and busiest counties in Northeast Ohio, you can’t micro-manage every little thing. He doesn’t even try. But he does want to control his own destiny, and his approach

2009 Top Shop Finalist: Curry’s Automotive

When Matt and Judy Curry opened Curry’s Auto Service in 1998, the couple knew they were taking a risk. With one child at home and another on the way, the Currys opened their shop in Chantilly, Va., with 13 credit cards and $103,000 worth of debt. “Every last penny to our name was in this

2009 Top Shop Finalist: Griffin Brothers

You would expect tire dealers in the heart of NASCAR country to know something about automobiles. Griffin Brothers Tires, Wheels, and Auto Repair in the Charlotte, N.C., area not only knows tires, but the company also has mastered the art of building relationships with people. Over the past 48 years, this family-run company has built