Generation Next?
Generationally speaking, we are at a crossroads. And whether we look left, right or straight ahead, the view is rather dim. "The strength of the independent tire dealer is the owner-operator, the guy who unlocks the door every day," Dick Johnson, president and CEO of American Tire Distributors (nee Heafner Tire Group), told me recently.
Clear for Takeoff: Despite Uncertainties, Private Brands Continue March On With Confidence
The private brand tire market has had to fight through a lot in the past year. First, there was the ongoing recession. Then a belief that private brands would get left behind in favor of major brands popped up. And there was one month when everything came to a standstill. Then, of course, there was
Trackside Confessions
Francesco Gori shifts nervously in his cane-back seat, carefully surveying the scenes around him. Behind us, 50 or so U.S. dealers take hot laps around Pirelli’s Vizzola proving grounds. In front, testy caterers are tearing down tables and trying to stack chairs, including the two we’re occupying. The man in charge of Pirelli’s world-wide tire
Industry Report
Michelin Reopens Closed Plant in Mexico
Industry Report
Tire Kingdom Expands Reach With Mueller Buy
The Real Biggest Number
My 4-year-old daughter, Lauren, caught me just as I walked in the door the other night, dragging from a long day at work. “Hey Papa, guess what? Do you know what the biggest number is?”
Dealer Diary: On Their Minds
On Their Minds For the past two years, Tire Review has brought you Dealer Diary, a monthly series that focuses on typical tire dealers and the ins and outs of their businesses.Both Dave Schardt, president of The Wheel Source in Dayton, Ohio, and Barry Steinberg, owner of Direct Tire and Auto Service in Boston, have
Make or Break: Smart Pricing Strategy Can Keep You Humming Long-Term
Make or Break Smart Pricing Strategy Can Keep You Humming Long-Term How important is pricing to retailing success and how tricky is it? Answers: Very and very. The evidence rests with the story of two retailing giants – Wal-Mart and Sears. Wal-Mart built its success on "everyday low prices" rather than sales, and now is
Where’s The Smoking Gun???
Police detectives call it "the smoking gun." It’s that key piece of absolutely indisputable evidence that seals the case. The smoking gun is the perfect counter to any argument of innocence. Yet finding that bit of evidentiary nirvana is not as simple as the name implies. Sometimes it takes some serious digging and rooting and
Case 2: Build Their Respect and Trust
Case 2: Build Their Respect and Trust Dealers can’t just open their doors, display some tires and sit back and watch profits roll in. It doesn’t work that way – and if it did everybody would be doing it. No, tire dealers have to market. They have to gain trust. They have to provide honest