Tulare Firestone Hooks Up With Mighty
Tulare Firestone Inc., based in Tulare, Calif., has integrated a Mighty Auto Parts franchise. Founded in 1952 and currently owned by Lionel Pires, Tulare Firestone operates 10 retail tire locations and wholesale and commercial dealerships. They supply passenger and commercial tires to their stores and dozens of other tire dealers, and are one of the
Options for Performance Brake Upgrades
Brake jobs are a good source of parts and labor income for tire dealerships. When brakes wear out, most motorists just want you to fix the problem and restore their brakes to like-new condition with OE-equivalent replacement parts. But in some situations, there may be an opportunity to sell your customer on the benefits of
Turning Vendors into Partners
Today, with the news of insurers becoming more involved in the parts purchasing process, shops are concerned about change more than ever. The relationship any business has with its vendors is more than simply its face-value financial position. Good discounts alone have little chance of turning into value for the end customer if there’s no
Oudshoorn: Apollo’s $50 Million Vredestein Buy Was ‘Good Business’
It is not just Apollo Vredestein CEO Rob Oudshoorn who considers Apollo Tyres’ acquisition of the Dutch tiremaker to have been “good business.” The phrase "hindsight is 20/20" is often on the tips of tongues when erroneous information – such as articles published by the media – are later assessed. A particularly blatant example of
Earth Day & Tires and What’s Happening With China
Happy Earth Day! In honor of the occasion, we ask that you read this posting online and not print paper copies. It’s a small thing, but the small things do add up! Speaking of Earth Day, today the RMA is exhibiting at "Just Check It Tire Sustainability Fair" in Sacramento. The event is sponsored by
With GPX Purchase Done, Alliance Chief Touting Company’s New Strengths
Yogesh Mahansaria, group CEO of Alliance Tire Group, based in Thane, India, is rare among his tiremaker CEO brethren. This is Mahansaria’s second go-round as head of a major tiremaker, having once been CEO of India’s Balkrishna Tyre. At Balkrishna, where he was a partner with his father, Mahansaria helped turn the tiny bicycle and
Becoming a Better Service Advisor
Whether the "selling" part of the job at your dealership is handled by a designated service adviser, service manager, shop foreman or technician, the impact of a "yes" or “no” are the same. People may decline repairs for numerous reasons. Some you can’t control, but some you just may. Here are a few things that
Deliver World-Beating Customer Service
The time has passed when good customer service could be measured by having a comfortable waiting room with a TV set, magazines and coffee. Today those things are expected. Customers demand much more, but “great customer service” is not as easily defined as, say, having clean restrooms. Truth is: Customer service is a tangible,
The Carpocalypse – What Does it Mean to Shops?
Last month, I had a chance to attend a panel discussion at Northwood University in Midland, Mich., titled "Reinventing the Wheel." The panel featured the usual analysts and industry experts, but it also featured a new car dealer and an executive vice president of a major aftermarket parts program group. The event was held in
Looking Long Term: Kanwar Has Apollo Tyre Focused…and on the Move
When Onkar Kanwar took over Apollo Tyres Ltd. In 1980, the company was a huge mess. Bad tires and worse management had driven the company – founded by his father in 1976 – into bankruptcy, its net worth wiped out five times over. But nearly 30 years later, the 66-year-old chairman sits atop India’s largest