From ‘Low Profile’ to UHP: Hankook Takes the High-Speed Road to Build Brand in U.S.
Hankook Takes the High-Speed Road to Build Brand in U.S.
No End in Sight: Whether Premium- or Value-Priced, UHP Tires Are Here to Stay
Need some good news for once? Ultra-high performance tires have mushroomed into the single fastest-growing tire segment. From 2000 to 2004, sales of UHP tires were up 161%, jumping 32% from 2003 to 2004 alone. In terms of units sold, the numbers look like this: 3.99 million in 2000, 7.9 million in 2003 and 10.4
Clean Living: A Safe, Tidy Tire Operation Will Scrub Your Image Inside and Out
In recent years, I’ve visited a number of trucking companies and had the opportunity to study their tire operations in some detail. Several I’ve seen lately made quite an impression, in that they were very atypical compared to what I have been used to seeing over the years. Specifically, they were organized, uncluttered and very
Segments and Subsets: MNA Looks to Address Market Fragmentation With New Sport, Touring Tires
MNA Looks to Address Market Fragmentation With New Sport, Touring Tires
What Really Matters: Tire Dealers Can Uncover Profits by Redirecting Their Focus
Over the past few years, I have had the pleasure of serving some of the best tire dealerships in the U.S. and Canada. Last year alone, we coached more than 1,000 tire dealerships. The majority of the owners wanted something to change. They could identify exactly what it was but could not move it by
10 Easy Ways to Boost Sales
Here’s something you may not know: American consumers spent $46.2 billion on tires and other auto accessories in 2002, the last year in which the U.S. Bureau of Economics has accurate numbers. That figure may sound impressive, but the Bureau also reported that Americans spent even more than that on shoes. The point: Don’t take
Staggering Difference: Truck Fleets and Racing are Vastly Different, Strangely Similar
Many fleet operators still maintain that truck tires represent the second (to fuel) largest operating expense in their budget. This “truism” seems pretty amazing, considering the tremendous advances made in radial tire technology that have led to longer treadlife (original and retread), improved casing durability and much better resistance to injury. And it is surprising,
Out of the Ordinary: Cooper’s Top Exec Discusses Recent Transformation, Global Ambitions
To get a sense of Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. and its chairman, president and CEO, you need look no further than Tom Dattilo’s corner office. Unlike the vistas other captains of industry enjoy from their lofty perches, Dattilo’s third-floor office overlooks Oler’s Drive Thru, a convenience store that stands as a stark reminder of
Direct Discourse: Have a Plane Spell Out Your Company Name in Smoke
Have a plane spell out your company name in smoke. Hire someone to stand on the street corner in a monkey suit holding a sign. If you’re the conservative type, add store signage or buy an ad on TV, in the local newspaper or on radio. When it comes to advertising, independent tire dealers have
Action and Reaction: Can Private Brands Survive a Shakeout?
When evaluating the private brand tires you carry, ask yourself one critical question: Can they survive a shakeout? “We are a pull through,” says Pat McLaughlin, president of SURE Tire, a cooperative buying group for private brand tires, about his business. “We can’t push anything into the market. We have to trail.” Reactionary. That’s the