Fleets to Tire Dealers: Give Me Super Savings
He doesn’t like to talk about his experiences with super wide tires very much. “Gives me a competitive advantage over my competition,” he says. But Jimmy Ray, maintenance manager for Mesilla Valley Transportation in New Mexico, is one of a growing band of fleet converts. The 600 tractors and 1,500 trailers he oversees used to
Mutual Rewards: The Case for Outsourcing Has Never Been Stronger
“We hang on to our tire dealership relationships for dear life,” says Gary F. Petty, president and CEO of the National Private Truck Council (NPTC). Petty presumably speaks for most private fleets when he says, ®a lot of them rely on tire dealerships for servicing the tire function. They need that special expertise.® Without question,
Ultimate Head Rush
Barely blinking and mouths agape, we watched silently as the cars rolled out into the cool morning air. And when the first one screamed to life, the sound waves thumped our chests as a not-so-subtle reminder of what was still ahead. Dry-mouthed, we all swallowed in unison. Being a Sunday morning, it seemed appropriate to
Tuning In: How a Pennsylvania Dealer Tapped into a Growing Market
You wouldn’t expect the northeast quadrant of Pennsylvania to be a high performance hotbed. Four-wheel drive pickups and SUVs would be more like it. But from Scranton and Wilkes-Barre south to Allentown and Harrisburg, the high performance market did grow, aided by the emerging tuner segment and the proliferation of high-end sports cars. Well-heeled customers
Biz Smarts Have No Gender
Women the weaker sex? Bite your tongue. Whether you’re male or female, to be successful in the retail or wholesale tire industry, you need business smarts, the ability to overcome challenges, and, above all, brass knuckles. An interesting combination of softness, intelligence and fiery spunk, women tire dealers are roaring. Once an oddity in a
Industry Report
Conti to Add "Low Cost" Production for N.A.Continental AG announced plans to spend upwards of $306.9 million to boost tire capacity in low-cost countries, primarily to benefit its struggling North American operations. In addition, Continental officials said the company is still seeking a partner in China.
Pace of Change
Michelin North America has declared 2004 to be the "Year of Performance," so there couldn’t have been a better way to start its ultra-high performance push than to give trade and enthusiast journalists a taste of real performance ®€“ on the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona, Spain
DeWine and Da Roses
Was Sen. Mike DeWine that far off base to suggest consumers should know how "new" their new tires really are? Yes, there is that whole cart-before-the-horse argument about needing scientific evidence of the impact of age on tire performance before getting consumers all cranked up. But, this is the 21st century, and I’d suggest tiremakers
Industry Report
RMA Cuts Support After Court Ruling Hopes for a tire industry checkoff program were dealt a couple of significant ®€“ potentially fatal ®€“ blows in late February after yet another court ruled that a popular checkoff program’s consumer education effort was unconstitutional, and the RMA withdrew support for the proposed program.
Field of Vision: ACCC’s Largest-Ever Dealer Event Looks at Past, Future Success
ACCC’s Largest-Ever Dealer Event Looks at Past, Future SuccessIn a century-old industry, 15 years doesn’t seem like much. But to an entrepreneurial business ®€“ whether a single retail store or alliance of successful dealers ®€“ 15 years is a long time.