Triangle Details U.S. JV, New Branding Strategy
Seeking to expand its operations in North America and establish itself as a true global brand, Shandong, China-based Triangle Group Co. announced a venture with Oriente Triangle Latin America, its Latin America marketer and distributor to offer the Triangle brand in the U.S. “A global brand is one that is perceived to reflect the same
P Zero All Season Plus Launch
Racing, according to Enrico Bertaggia, former champion driver and CEO of Dream Racing, isn’t always about the car. In fact, when the race is all said and done, it’s always been about the tires. Bertaggia made that remark to media and tire dealers while prepping them for a day of driving at the Las Vegas
100 Years of Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.
The tire industry – and the world – was vastly different a century ago, when Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. got its start. The automotive industry was still quite young in 1914, when brothers-in-law John F. Schaefer and Claude E. Hart purchased M and M Manufacturing Co. in Akron, which produced tire patches, cement and
Bridgestone Americas Stu Crum Reveals His 2020 Vision
In August 2013, Stu Crum left Shell Oil Co. where he served as president of Jiffy Lube International to join Bridgestone Americas as president of its retail store group, overseeing more than 2,200 company-owned stores under the Firestone Complete Auto Car, Tires Plus, Hibdon Tires Plus and Wheel Works brands. Crum made news this past
Servicing Wheel Bearings & Wheel Speed Sensors
If you are replacing a wheel bearing on a late-model vehicle, you’ll be dealing with a wheel speed sensor. In the past decade, wheel speed sensors have been moving from differentials, axles and knuckles to inside or on the wheel bearing or hub unit. At this location, the sensors are more accurate and often more
Solid/Live Axle Diagnostics
In 1963, almost every car manufactured in the U.S. had a solid rear axle. There were exceptions like the Corvette and Corvair. Today, pickup trucks and only a few light- to medium-duty SUVs/passenger vehicles still use solid rear axles. It’s not uncommon for a solid rear axle vehicle to go its entire life on one
5 Mistakes Newbie Tire Techs Make
Ah, brand-new tire techs. I think of them somewhat as similar to puppies: cute, eager to please, and clumsy as all get-out. Feed them regularly, play fetch the new tire with them, and make sure they get paper trained (with training). Nothing can turn a new tech into a veteran but time and experience, and
Lessons from Jack Welch
Jack Welch is one of the most successful business leaders of the last century. For those unfamiliar with him, Jack Welch was the CEO of General Electric from 1981 until his retirement in 2001. Over his 20-year tenure, Welch earned numerous awards for his leadership as CEO, culminating with Fortune magazine naming him “Manager of
Leveraging Online Reviews
Creating positive word-of-mouth advertising has always been a marketing cornerstone for successful tire dealers. Over the years, savvy dealers have fine-tuned their customer service efforts to maximize the potential for positive publicity from such brand ambassadors. It’s the same in today’s digital age – just multiplied exponentially. Where a satisfied customer was once able to
Breaking Down Winter Tires
There are three principal categories of winter tires: performance winter, studless ice and snow, and studdable winter tires. All meet severe snow service standards and are branded with the mountain snowflake pictograph. Performance winter tires are for drivers looking for (relatively) high levels of dry road handling from their winter tires and are willing to
Hankook Breaks Ground on First U.S. Plant
Exactly one year after Hankook Tire Co. entered into an agreement with the Clarksville- Montgomery County, Tenn., government to build a tire production facility, government officials, Hankook executives, media, guests, and business partners gathered on Oct. 9 to break ground for Hankook’s first U.S.-based tire plant and eighth global production facility. The 469-acre greenfield plant
Random Notes From the South Side
Back from another SEMA Show/Global Tire Expo, as are a supposed 140,000-plus other people in Las Vegas for the automotive world’s biggest week. Word was that the combined SEMA-AAPEX world was up considerably from the year prior, good news coming on the back-end of a seemingly endless recession. Colleagues over at AAPEX report that it