Launching a brand in a new market is never easy… even if that brand has nearly 60 years of established history behind it. This is the case with MatraX Tyres, which has roots stemming back to 1965 in Portugal. Now, the company is expanding into the U.S. with passenger car tires, with plans to add more tire lines soon.

“The U.S. market is big – it’s the biggest market in the world. It’s challenging because, apart from the size of the market, we are talking about different weather conditions and different road conditions between many states. We are talking about [which regions need] winter tires, all-season tires, summer tires… It’s a very diverse market,” Says Andre Bandeira, managing director for MatraX Tyres. “So, we need to adapt our products to these different markets. That’s not so in many other markets, where we have a product that will already fit 80% of the market. In the U.S., it doesn’t work this way.”

In this episode of What’s Treading with Tire Review, Bandeira discusses how MatraX Tyres was introduced to the North American market, how the company is adapting its products to diverse U.S. conditions, the challenges and solutions associated with distribution logistics, and the importance of dealer support and relationships.

This is an audio-only version of our episode with MatraX Tyres. Go ahead, you’re already here – take a listen! But, if you’re looking for moving pictures, click here.