Will Duties Cause Shortage of TBR Tires?

www.tirebusiness.com April 15, 2019 $79 per year, $4 per copy

Tire Business Special Report CommercialTire& Will duties cause shortage of TBR tires? RetreadingReport Mergers/acquisitions high- USTMA forecasts medium-duty product shipments to drop in 2019 10 light 2018/19 commercial By Bruce Davis medium-duty truck/bus shipments this year. those tariffs, the moves proved providential when sector developments [email protected] The drop, which translates to 1.5 million units, the Department of Commerce handed down in ill the newly imposed countervailing is tied primarily to the anticipated impact of the February its decision to impose countervailing North America’s and antidumping import duty orders on higher import duties on China, the No. 1 source of and antidumping duty orders on truck and bus 14-15 largest commercial Wtruck and bus tires from China lead to imported truck tires. tires from China, sources said. dealerships chart shortages of tires and/or rising prices? Truck tire imports from China last year soared The surplus inventory of these “tariff-beater” That scenario seems to be more than likely, ac- 42.1 percent to 9.22 million units, or more than half imports on hand could serve to ll the gap, at least Bridgestone launches ‘Fleets cording to various sources contacted by Tire Busi- of all imports. The increase, however, was in ated temporarily, for any shortfalls in new imports, 17 We Depend On’ retreading ness. The big question, however, is: To what extent? by importers’ placing extra orders toward year-end sources indicated. education campaign The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association may to get product on-shore prior to the Trump admin- At this point it’s still speculation as to how have presaged a product shortage inadvertently istration’s threatened 15-percent tariffs on billions much the duties — ranging from 20.98 to 63.34 North America’s largest with its latest industry shipment report, issued of dollars’ worth of goods from China. percent countervailing and 9 to 22.57 percent 18-19 retreaders chart March 5, which projected a 6.8-percent drop in While the administration eventually postponed SEE DUTIES , PAGE 26 Giti plans to reinvigorate Expansion gets A-OK OK Tire is laying foundation GT Radial brand in N.A. for growth through mid-2020s By Bruce Davis about 30 locations a year, Mr. Cald- U.S. factory to ramp up production, launch several new tire lines [email protected] well said, a pace the franchisor ex- VANCOUVER, British Columbia pects to continue for the coming ve OK Tire Stores Inc. is commit- years or so. The network stood at 323 ting $75 million (C$100 million) locations in early April. over the next ve years to expand “We are changing our business model its distribution capabilities across to provide our dealers with everything Canada to support its drive they require to serve our cus- to recruit new franchisees tomers’ automotive needs and grow market share. better. Today’s announcement The expansion project marks the beginning of a new Giti Tire Group photo Giti Tire's plant in Richburg, S.C., is ramping up production of passenger and light truck tires. — the most signi cant in OK Tire as Canada’s premier the company’s 66-year his- tire and auto service company.” By Kathy McCarron for Walmart Inc. stores and now also tire is being delivered to distribution tory — will add more than In addition to expanding [email protected] is producing the newly introduced GT centers under a soft launch. Limited 500,000 square feet to OK and improving the group’s RICHBURG, S.C. Radial Maxtour LX for CUVs and cars. sizes of this line will be built in Indo- Tire’s network of 11 region- physical assets, OK Tire is As the new kid in the North Ameri- “We have plans over the next ve nesia to cater to what Giti called an un- al distribution centers and Caldwell working on its digital plat- can manufacturing neighborhood, Giti years to introduce new products ev- derserved segment of the market. provide a more robust online forms as well with a goal of Tire Manufacturing (USA) Ltd. has ery year out of this plant,” Giti North “We are in the early stages of re- platform for the member-owned com- creating an online customer experi- ambitious plans to make its mark in America CEO Tim Fulton said during building the GT Radial brand. The last pany to compete more effectively in ence that parallels what customers get the regional tire market. a media tour of the plant in March. three years have impacted us severely e-commerce. in the physical stores. Since the groundbreaking four years ago “We’ll use the manufacturing ca- in our ability to supply tires to our deal- “Thanks to our dealers, we are “Our objective is to future-proof our for its 1.7-million-sq.-ft. facility in Richburg, pabilities of this plant as the principal ers,” said Jim May eld, senior execu- experiencing phenomenal and con- business,” Chief Operating Of cer Mi- the subsidiary of Singapore-headquar- source for our U.S. products, comple- tive vice president of sales and market- sistent growth the past few years in chael Rutherford said, “which is why tered Giti Tire Group began producing mented by the factory in Indonesia to ing, referring to increased U.S. tariffs our network on both the commercial we are installing state-of-the-art dis- tires in late 2017, hired more than 700 provide the full range of sizes.” and antidumping duties imposed on and retail side,” OK Tire President tribution systems at our new facilities. employees and has been ramping up Giti plans to introduce three prod- tires imported from its China plants. and CEO Jim Caldwell said. “We will be able to carry more production for new lines of tires. uct lines in 2019 to help it build the “Those days are over. The company The OK Tire franchise network has products and service our retail “This facility is half of what we GT Radial brand: has gured out what our go-forward been growing by the past few years SEE OK , PAGE 26 want,” said Hank Eisenga, vice pres-  The Maxtour LX focuses on strategy is and it’s time to start connect- ident of manufacturing. “So our in- the grand touring segments — pas- ing to consumers again and bringing tent is to take and double this facility senger cars with high-speed ratings them the message of some great tires as quickly as we can.” and larger rim diameters, as well as that we’re going to be bringing to mar- The plant, Giti’s most state- a heavy focus on CUVs. ket and selling. We’re going to utilize of-the-art facility, is producing about  The Adventuro HT will be social media in a very strong way to 8,000 tires per day with a capacity for launched this summer. The plant has make that connection,” he said. 10 million tires per year. started manufacturing some sizes of According to Giti, the new Maxtour “Our intention is to get there as the LT/SUV tire, while other sizes will LX is priced lower than its bench- quickly as we can,” he added. be built in the P.T. Gajah Tunggal plant marked brand competition: Continen- The plant began by producing in Indonesia. tal, Cooper, Nexen and Hankook. Dextero-brand passenger car tires  The Maxmiler Pro commercial “The reality of the market today

is that our brand is not well known. OK Tire Stores Inc. photo ©Entire contents copyright 2019 by Crain Communications Inc. All rights reserved. SEE GITI , PAGE 7 OK Tire Stores expects to add 30 stores a year through the mid-2020s.

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Copyright ©2019 Michelin North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Michelin Man is a registered trademark owned by Michelin North America, Inc. Visit us on the web at www.tirebusiness.com TIRE BUSINESS, April 15, 2019 • 3 IndustryNews Tire Pros rolls out dealer tools, initiatives By Don Detore during the meeting. working as a team. [email protected] “The choices we make today will “There are three things that make ORLANDO, Fla. ensure that Tire Pros and our fran- up any team or organization: people, American Tire Distributors Inc.’s chisees are ideally positioned for the structure and chemistry,” Mr. Billick (ATD) Tire Pros marketing group ways that consumers shop, including said. “You have a winning combination unveiled several initiatives during its how they select their tire and automo- in place when you combine the best recent National Business Conference tive service retailer. We believe that players — all of you franchisees in the that are designed to help dealers in- there is so much at stake, but impor- audience — with the winning game crease store traf c, improve ef ciency tantly, we believe that we can’t do this plan that Tire Pros is outlining today.” and maximize pro tability. without one another. We are choosing Among the topics discussed at the ATD executives, including Presi- to invest and to win together.” conference were: dent and CEO Stuart Schuette, joined Mr. Schuette presented an over- • Continuing the “Hassle-Free. Tire Pro dealers for the event, where view of several initiatives the distrib- Guaranteed” national advertising cam- presenters emphasized how to leverage utor will launch in 2019 to leverage paign, supported by digital and online photo Pros Tire new tools and technologies that they technology and data in order to sup- paid media, which was launched in American Tire Distributors Inc.’s Tire Pros marketing group held a trade show said will help dealers “choose to win” port its customers, particularly Tire 2018. as part of its annual National Business Conference, held recently in Orlando. in a rapidly changing marketplace. Pros franchisees. According to Tire Pros, the cam- the last year. The “Find a Dealer” important part of the national and local “Consumers will drive our future,” Brian Billick, who coached the paign delivered more than 50 million page views increased seven times. marketing strategy, emphasizing tar- Ryan Marsh, chief growth and inno- Baltimore Ravens to a Super Bowl targeted impressions, and visits to Executives told dealers that this geted, paid media strategies that they vation of cer at ATD, told the group win in 2001, shared the message of TirePros.com increased sixfold over year’s campaign will continue to be an SEE TIRE PROS, PAGE 26 BREAKING NEWS Exxpress Tire talks strategy By Dave Zielasko NHTSA: Electronic tire IDs [email protected] NOORD, Aruba ‘technologically’ feasible Dunn Tire L.L.C.’s Exxpress Tire Delivery WASHINGTON unit is using analytics and a recently conduct- The National Highway Traf c Safety Admin- ed survey of its wholesale tire customers as a istration (NHTSA) has determined that it is “tech- guide to help it grow and enhance service and nologically feasible” for tire makers to include elec- ef ciency. tronic tire identi cation data in new tires, but it likely The goal of the research is to provide a bet- will require additional industry effort and possible ter understanding of the tire marketplace and regulatory action to ensure the use of a single type of of customers’ needs, improve operational ef - technology and standard information format. ciency and aid in the development of a plan for NHTSA’s ndings are included in report to Con- sustainable growth, company of cials told tire gress, “Electronic Tire Identi cation Study,” and and car dealer customers attending the Exxpress based on data gathered over the past three-plus Tire Delivery Dealer Trip, March 7-11, in Aruba. years, since the passage of the Fixing America’s Sur- This effort comes at a time of rapid evolution face Transportation (FAST) Act in December 2015. in the retail tire market, increased use of technol- The FAST Act included provisions that required ogy to sell and market tires, ongoing tire deal- the Secretary of Transportation to determine the ership consolidation and growing competition Tire Business photo by Dave Zielasko Steve Clave, managing director, wholesale operations, for Dunn Tire L.L.C., speaks during feasibility of requiring all manufacturers of tires from franchise car dealerships and other large tire the Exxpress Tire Delivery business meeting. subject to U.S. laws governing the sale of tires to chains, Steve Clave, managing director, whole- include electronic identi cation in every tire and sale operations, for Dunn Tire, said during a pre- year to better understand its business, such as Erie, Pa. National account business improved ensure that the same type and format of electronic sentation at the trip’s business meeting. its cost per mile, route/truck return on invest- 25 percent. information technology is used on all tires. “The game has changed,” he said. “We are ment, handling frequency, units per person, Exxpress Tire continued its growth efforts in Having such electronic ID methods available could going to have to embrace these changes mov- load times and inventory management for op- the Pittsburgh area, its newest market, during aid the effectiveness of the tire registration and recall ing forward.” timal velocity, Mr. Clave said. the past year, Mr. Clave said. The company process, NHTSA said stakeholders in the issue agreed. To better understand how Exxpress Tire is Armed with this information, Exxpress completed the installation of electronic routing NHTSA’s study identi ed two technologies in performing, the company surveyed its 4,000 Tire aims to reduce the frequency of times it in all of its warehouses. Electronic routing is a use for tire electronic identi cation — RFID (radio customers, getting a response rate of 5 per- touches a tire, increase pull accuracy, improve software application that optimizes data and lays frequency identi cation) tags and 2D barcodes — cent, Mr. Clave said. driver effectiveness, do a better job of sharing out the most ef cient routes for the company’s and found that either or both of these technologies Questions focused on the performance of best practices, streamline processes and make delivery vehicles. The software also allows the could be used to implement electronic Tire Identi - Exxpress Tire delivery drivers and customer better use of technology to improve decision measuring of performance and provides opera- cation Number (TIN) information on all new tires. representatives, handling of delivery issues, making, Mr. Clave said. tional benchmarks and logistics. While the technologies identi ed have the abil- whether customers would recommend Exxpress Looking back at 2018, Mr. Clave said Exx- For 2019, Exxpress Tire Delivery is forecast- ity to accomplish electronic tire identi cation, Tire to others and the company’s overall service. press Tire had a solid year, growing 7 percent, ing 6.5-percent growth. “The percentage might NHTSA said, it was unable to determine the long- “I was tickled pink,” Mr. Clave said of the although it nished shy of its budgeted goal of be down (from 2018), but you’re growing at a term durability of these technologies. mostly positive results. “I’ll be honest, I was 11 percent. Company of cials attributed this bigger number,” said Paul Pittner, Dunn Tire The study concluded that achieving a standard scared. ... But the only way we’re going to nd shortfall to a fall-off in sales in December, an managing director of procurement and supply information content and format for the data would out, the only way we are going to make im- occurrence, they said, that impacted everyone in chain, during an interview with company exec- be possible and feasible, with including the TIN provements, we went directly to the market the industry as far as they knew. Growth came utives following the business meeting. “It comes data locally within the ID tag considered the ef - and asked the question.” in all ve Exxpress Tire markets: Buffalo, Roch- down to what we can physically handle.” cient method. Exxpress Tire began using analytics last ester and Syracuse, N.Y., and Pittsburgh and SEE EXXPRESS, PAGE 26 Since TINs follow a standard format, encoding the TIN directly in the identi cation tag would ensure a standard data format, NHTSA said. The agency added it did not perform a full cost/ Bridgestone closes 13 Firestone retail stores in Utah bene t analysis of implementing this solution. SALT LAKE CITY Among larger Bridgestone-af liated retailers Bridgestone Retail Operations (BSRO) has in the area are Burt Brothers Tire with 11 stores closed 13 of its 14 Firestone Complete Auto Care and Commercial Tire Inc. with ve locations. VISIT TIREBUSINESS.COM stores in the greater Salt Lake City area, reported- In a prepared statement, BSRO said it “continu- ly due to the expiration of a master lease covering ally assesses its portfolio to ensure we are meeting BEST PLACES TO WORK: Sign up for the properties. the needs of consumers across our nationwide net- TB’s Best Places to Work survey Bridgestone declined to comment on the reason work of 2,200 stores. After a thorough evaluation, PHOTO GALLERY: See photos from or reasons for the closings. Local news media re- BSRO has made the dif cult decision to close 13 Goodyear’s 20th STEM Career Day ported the cause was due to the lease situation. Firestone Complete Auto Care store locations in The company has one remaining Firestone the greater Salt Lake City area.” PODCAST: Hear an interview with Complete Auto Care store in Utah, in West Jor- The retail unit of Bridgestone Americas added Dave Crawford of The Hybrid Shop dan, and Bridgestone is urging customers to seek it is working to “minimize the impact of these clo- out one of its 150 af liated dealers in Utah for sures on employees, customers and the community.” Other online content: STORIES • VIDEOS • PHOTOS • NEWSLETTERS • PODCASTS service. Consumers can call 844-293-7514 to nd The company did not say how many employ- Firestone Complete Auto Care store. an af liated dealer in the area, BSRO said. ees are affected. 4 • April 15, 2019, TIRE BUSINESS Visit us on the web at www.tirebusiness.com IndustryNews NEWS IN BRIEF Fountain Tire CEO Hesje Point S designates 44 stores as ‘Top Shop’ earns Chamber award EDMONTON, Alberta By Don Detore of 95 percent or higher in order to be desig- brings to its customers, tire vendors, and are Fountain Tire CEO Brent Hesje recently [email protected] nated a Top Shop honoree. a beacon for other independent tire dealers to received the Northern Lights Award of Dis- PORTLAND, Ore. Clint Young, director of sales and business join our co-op.” tinction, awarded by the Edmonton Cham- Point S USA has designated 44 Point S development for Point S, called the feedback “The Top Shop winners cap a successful ber of Commerce in recognition of his cor- stores as “Top Shop” honorees, determined “invaluable.” 2018 partnership with Market Force,” Point S porate, community and industry leadership. by a review of each of their independent retail “We all learned a lot and found areas to im- CEO Walter Lybeck said. Mr. Hesje, who has been CEO of Edmon- locations. prove and focus on,” Mr. Young said. “This will be a key component continuing into ton-based Fountain Tire since 2005, has led the Each of the stores, part of the 200-plus- “In fact, it was impressive seeing a 7-per- 2019. Market Force has provided location-level company through a period of signi cant growth. store marketing cooperative, will receive the cent bump in average scores across our entire customer experience management solutions and The company has a history of supporting Point S Top Shop for Customer Experience co-op from the rst round of surveys to the actionable feedback for our owners. the United Way, Junior Achievement and Award. second.” “It has reinforced the strength of our brand local development initiatives in Edmonton. The Point S Brand Committee was tasked Mr. Young said the owners are “leaders in and our group's commitment to their custom- Last spring, Mr. Hesje was appointed to provide strategic insight by integrating our industry and represent the value Point S er’s experience.” chair of the Automotive Industry Associa- branding, operational and experiential mea- tion of Canada. He is a board member of sures across the system while providing in- Fountain Tire and sits on the boards of sev- sights for owners. PALO CEDRO POINT S TIRE DEN POINT S eral Canadian corporate brands. The Essential Brands Standards program POINT S FLEET AND COMMERCIAL POINT S SMART CHOICE TIRES — SUMNER Mr. Hesje is the former chair of the GILLS POINT S — HOOD RIVER POINT S EAST HILL TIRE was established as the committee collabo- POINT S RON'S POINT S — REDDING boards of directors of the YPO Alberta rated with Market Force Information L.L.C., TIRE & MOTORSPORT — TERRETON WALT'S POINT S Saskatchewan Chapter, the Western Cana- a location-level customer experience man- POINT S — SANDY BLVD. T&T TIRE POINT S da Tire Dealers and The Support Network. agement business that helps to measure the BRIAN'S TIRE & AUTO REPAIR POINT S CHRISTENSEN'S POINT S He served three terms as chair of the Board brand’s reputation and customers’ experi- O&M POINT S GILLS POINT S — MCMINNVILLE of Governors of Northern Alberta Institute ence. TIRE FACTORY POINT S — AMERICAN FORK POINT S J&J TIRE AND AUTO SERVICE of Technology (NAIT), where he led the Stores could accumulate up to 100 possible POINT S PRECISION PERFORMANCE HAVRE TIRE POINT S largest fundraising campaign in the institu- TODD'S POINT S POINT S VALLEY TIRE CENTER points, based on a checklist of customer expe- CLAIR & DEE'S POINT S tion’s history, raising more than $120 mil- rience audit questions. Two reviews were con- BRUNEEL POINT S BOISE lion to develop campus learning spaces. MILLAR'S POINT S POINT S SMART CHOICE TIRES — WENATCHEE ducted in stores last year, one in the spring RTO POINT S NOLAN'S POINT S and one in the fall. OLSON BROS. POINT S BISHOP POINT S Linglong breaks ground on “It was great seeing my fellow owners not GOOD NEIGHBOR POINT S — RENTON GARY'S POINT S tire plant in Serbia just adopt the Essential Brand Standards but ORR'S POINT S POINT S THE TIRE PROS self-enforce them across their entire opera- GILLS POINT S — ALBANY CANAGA POINT S ZRENJANIN, Serbia tion,” Cory Brown, board member and chair- GILLS POINT S — NEWBERG I-5 POINT S China’s Shandong Linglong Tire Co. man of the Brand Protection Committee, said. TURN THOM POINT S PRECISION TIRE & AUTO CENTER POINT S Ltd. has laid a ceremonial corner stone for OGDEN'S POINT S A store needed to score in the top percen- POINT S ZYLSTRA TIRE its green eld tire factory project in Zrenja- STERLING QUALITY POINT S CARPENTER POINT S tile of all Point S network locations achieving HIWAY FUEL TIRE FACTORY nin, signaling the start of construction for a combined Market Force Report Card score the $994 million project in northern Serbia. The company said it had secured 320 acres of land in the Zrenjanin Free Trade Zone for the plant, which is to be built in three phases Conti's Sumter plant over six years. The plant itself will span 4.24 Conti’s Thailand million square feet, Linglong said. The plant, to be operated by Linglong In- to produce ContiSeal ternational Europe d.oo. Zrenjanin, is rated tire plant starts SUMTER, S.C. tinental’s trust in the Sumter facility to at 13.6 million tires per year, comprising: Continental Tire the Americas is continue delivering quality products to 12 million car tires, 1.6 million truck/bus expanding its plant in Sumter to ac- our customers,” Ahmed Boualam, Sum- tires and 20,000 off-the-road tires. production commodate production of the compa- ter plant manager, said. ny’s ContiSeal puncture-sealing and Continental plans to begin install- Prinx Chengshan begins RAYONG, Thailand ContiSilent noise-absorbing passen- ing equipment in September and is Continental A.G.’s car and light truck tire plant ger tire lines. targeting the start of production for Thailand plant construction in Rayong has started production on schedule, two The project will add about 29,000 May 2020. The new lines will be rat- CHONBURI, Thailand years after the company broke ground on the $265 square feet of space to the approxi- ed at 1 million units a year. Chinese tire maker Prinx Chengshan million project. mately 2 million square feet of manu- Producing these products in the U.S. Tire Co. Ltd. — a former Cooper Tire & The plant is designed to produce up to 4 million facturing space under roof in Sumter. will expand Conti’s portfolio in the Rubber Co. joint venture — has broken tires per year for Thailand and the Asia Paci c region Conti did not disclose its investment Americas for new mobility solutions, ground on a $300 million car and truck tire by 2022, Continental said, with up to 900 employees in the expansion but said the project according to Juan Botero, Conti’s vice plant in Chonburi that could be operating at full production. should create up to 50 jobs dedicated president of key account management by mid-2020. The facility — Conti’s sixth tire plant in the Asia/ to the new production lines. for original equipment passenger and At full capacity, the plant will be rated Paci c region and 20th worldwide — “is an integral Producing these tires in the U.S. will light truck tires. at 4 million radial passenger and 800,000 “We have listened to the needs of radial all-steel truck and bus tires annually, part of Continental Tire Division’s ‘Vision 2025’ our customers and are excited to of- Prinx Chengshan said. growth strategy,” outgoing Tire Division Head Niko- fer products and solutions designed The company said it chose Thailand be- lai Setzer said during an inauguration ceremony at to ensure a quieter and more com- cause of its global free trade policies, access the plant. fortable ride, which undoubtedly will to natural rubber and status as the largest ve- The unit, he added, improves the balance of Conti- become increasingly important as we hicle production center in the ASEAN region. nental’s global manufacturing footprint and strength- see more electri cation and autono- ens its production capacities for Asia Paci c. mous vehicles in the market,” he said. N.J. dealer group to host “This is not just a milestone,” he added. “With this ContiSeal is a technology developed investment we have built a foundation for our com- by Continental to seal a damaged tire golf outing May 21 mon success, writing together history in the automo- tread. Launched in 2007, the technol- MATAWAN, N.J. tive industry in Thailand.” ogy involves building a layer of seal- The New Jersey State Tire Dealers Asso- According to the company, the Rayong plant fea- Conti will be producing the Conti-Seal ant polymer on the tire’s innerliner that ciation (NJSTDA) will host its annual golf tures “best-in-class” energy ef ciency standards, tire line at its Sumter, S.C., plant. envelops foreign objects, such as nails, outing May 21 at Knob Hill Golf Club in machines equipped with technology for sustainable increase the supply of tires on hand and prevents air loss, even if the object Manalapan, N.J. production processes, and highly automated logistics and reduce the turnaround time from is removed. Registration begins at 10:30 a.m., with a and handling processes for “an ergonomic work en- order to delivery to customers across ContiSilent, launched in 2013, is a shotgun start at 1 p.m. Lunch will be served vironment.” the region, Conti said. Conti also pro- tire noise-reducing technology that in- before the tournament and cocktails and Rayong is the seventh green eld plant Continental duces the ContiSeal and ContiSilent volves the application of a polyurethane dinner will be served after. has opened since 1998. tire lines at two plants in Europe. foam to the tire’s innerliner, which ab- Cost for event is $150 per person when “This announcement celebrates Con- sorbs interior noise. registering in advance. Day-of registration is $200 per person. For more details contact Al Breese at 732-887-7281 or Bud Mul- Volume 37, No. 1—Tire Business (ISSN 0746-9071) is published biweekly by 2 years; group rates available. Surface delivery—to Canada, 1 year—$107 (includes Crain Communications Inc. at 2291 Riverfront Pkwy, Suite 1000, Cuyahoga Falls, GST); to all other countries, $119 per year. Four weeks notice required for change laney at 732-566-1940. Ohio 44221. Periodicals postage paid at Akron and additional mailing of ces. of address. Single copy—$4. Canadian Post International Publications Mail Product Sponsorships for the event still are avail- Postmaster: Send address changes to: Tire Business, Circulation Dept., 1155 Gratiot (Canadian Distribution) Sales Agreement #40012850, GST #136760444. Canadian able with costs ranging from $100 to $5,000. Ave., Detroit, Mich. 48207-2912. Subscription rates: U.S., $79—one year; $148— return address: 4960-2 Walker Road, Windsor, ON N9A6J3. Printed in U.S.A. www.tirebusiness.com/bestplaces

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tirebusiness.com 6 • April 15, 2019, TIRE BUSINESS Visit us on the web at www.tirebusiness.com OUR VIEW

Brennan Lafferty V.P./group publisher Complicated [email protected] • 313-446-6768 EDITORIAL STAFF P:330-836-9180 F:330-836-2831 David E. Zielasko answers await V.P./publisher, Editorial director [email protected] • 330-865-6131 Donald J. Detore Editor TBR questions [email protected] • 330-865-6126 Bruce Davis Special projects reporter he onset of tariffs levied on truck and bus [email protected] • 330-865-6145 tires manufactured in China — a country Miles D. Moore that provides more than double the amount Senior Washington reporter T [email protected] • 703-256-9275 of TBR tires to the U.S. than any other country Kathy McCarron in the world — begs a question that commercial Reporter dealers no doubt ask themselves daily: [email protected] • 330-865-6127 Is there enough product to satisfy the market? Michael McCrady Art director/page designer If the answer is yes, and we hope that is the case, [email protected] • 330-865-6148 then there is no issue at all. In this still-booming Forum INTERNET STAFF economy, an ample supply means stable prices, Erin Pustay Beaven Online content editor robust business and satis ed customers. [email protected] • 330-865-6106 But if the answer is no — and recent data pro- Mark McCarron vided by the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Associa- A change for the better Digital coordinator [email protected] • 330-865-6123 tion (USTMA) seem to suggest that — what does By Don Detore leftovers and other material that had accu- that mean? Will tire prices spike? [email protected] mulated over the years. Most of the stuff was PRODUCTION/IT STAFF Scott Merryweather The USTMA recently predicted shipments of CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio from another era, tucked away in a drawer, Media services manager medium-duty truck/bus tire in the U.S. will drop s I sit in my new of ce, watching le cabinet or closet, and hadn’t been ac- [email protected] • 330-865-6104 by nearly 7 percent this year, with the newly im- the swift spring ow of the frigid cessed in a decade or more. Anthony DiPonio Cuyahoga River, I am reminded of Over the last month, we lled and re lled Chief information of cer posed elevated antidumping and countervailing A [email protected] • 313-446-1605 duties on Chinese tires being cited as a key factor one axiom I’ve always tried to live by: bins with paper products, sending it to be re- Change is good. cycled. We packed boxes of essentials to be SALES STAFF in the decline. P:330-836-9180 F:330-836-1005 The view from my of ce, a few steps from moved. And we lled two large dumpsters. On the demand side, it appears the trucking in- Patrick Cannon a balcony overlooking the river, is Many of the people listed in the Group sales director dustry doesn’t anticipate slowing down anytime part of a change I had yet to experi- column to the right from within our [email protected] • 313-916-1625 soon, although the American Trucking Associa- ence in four-plus decades as a jour- publications, as well as others from Christine Zernick Sales director tions (ATA) reports that last year’s growth in the nalist — moving from one venue to our corporate of ce IT and facili- [email protected] • 330-865-6108 industry — 6.6 percent — has eased during the another while still employed at the ties departments in Detroit, helped Bruce Miller rst quarter of this year. same institution. to make the transition seamless. A Regional sales manager According to Dawn Brusseau, associate di- I have changed jobs and thus lo- job well done. [email protected] • 313-737-6665 cations, previously, going from a Although the move was made John Hickey rector for commercial vehicle solutions for IHS Sales manager Markit research, registrations for Class 8 trac- small-town newspaper to a bigger over the last week of March, it re- [email protected] • 260-437-8502 tors increased in 2018, a trend the rm predicted newspaper in a bigger town, then to mains a work in progress. Employ- Peter Bianchi a third newspaper that serves one of Detore ees continue to get accustomed to Sales manager would continue by this year, growing about 8 per- Ohio’s larger cities. the surroundings, while having to [email protected] • 312-265-6484 cent, to 340,000 units. Brooke Stender Each work location was marked- concentrate on the immediate and Classi ed sales representative “Your future is secure. Trucking is only gain- ly different, with its advantages — all three most crucial task at hand: Providing the lat- [email protected] •330-865-6117 ing in popularity. ... The need for trucking is were in walking distance of some of the n- est industry news for our online and print Lori DiFrancesco strong and will continue to be strong within the est retail and dining establishments that each publications. Sales and conference coordinator market,” she said, predicting this year will be a city had to offer — and disadvantages — one We made this physical move while we re- [email protected] • 330-865-6121 “peak year in the current buying cycle,” as eets location was constantly so steamy hot that vamped and updated the look of our publica- MARKETING & EVENTS STAFF Sarah Arnold continue to replace aging trucks. employees would come to work on nights tion — including a new nameplate that sits Marketing & events manager Some tire manufacturers already have begun to and weekends in the dead of the Ohio winter atop our cover and new headline fonts. [email protected] • 330-865-6169 react to the high demand/low supply scenario. As dressed in shorts and T-shirts. And as the last piece of Tire Business tril- Sally Dietz On April 1, the staffs of Tire Business and ogy, so to speak, we soon will roll out a new Assistant trade show manager of March 5, Bridgestone Corp. increased prices [email protected] • 330-865-6112 Rubber & Plastics News, both part of Crain look at tirebusiness.com. Look for that be- of its Dayton-brand tires, sourced almost exclu- Communications Inc., completed a move to fore the end of this month. AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT sively from China, by 20 percent. That comes on Jennifer Mosley a newly renovated location a few miles from I share this with you with two purposes Group director, Audience development the heels of a 10-percent price increase initiated our previous home in Akron’s Merriman in mind. [email protected] • 312-649-5312 last fall. Valley. The new of ce, part of a bustling First, if you are considering a change in For new subscriptions or change There is some talk that suppliers ramped up retail/commercial area in Cuyahoga Falls, is venue, or perhaps renovating your current of address write to: Circulation Department, Tire Business imports of product late last year in anticipation smaller, brighter and trendier than the previ- business venue, I strongly encourage you to 1155 Gratiot Ave. ous space, re ecting the new realities of our pursue it if it makes sense from a cost stand- Detroit, Mich. 48207-2912 of the duties and more Trump-imposed tariffs. or call 877-320-1716 (U.S. and Perhaps that will curtail, or perhaps slow, other changing work environment. point. A new location, along with a new look, Canada only) or 313-446-0450. The move has not been without its chal- not only serves to reinvigorate your business, FAX: 313-446-6777 manufacturers from increasing prices. email: [email protected] So what does all this mean for your business? lenges. After spending 30 years at our previ- but also sparks excitement in your staff and, ous location, many of us had to make some to some extent, your customers. For single copy sales: email: [email protected] The best advice might be to keep a clos- dif cult decisions: What essentials shall we Secondly, this is a good opportunity to tell er-than-usual watch on the market. Talk with Reprints: take with us to the smaller location? And, you that we at Tire Business remain commit- Lauren Melesio your suppliers. Read up on the happenings in most importantly, what should we purge? ted to providing you, our valued readers, the [email protected] • 212-210-0707 Washington. As you might expect, some of us took a latest news and information in the tire and EXECUTIVE OFFICES And in the meantime, let’s hope the nation quick jog — for others it was more of an en- auto service industries. 2291 Riverfront Pkwy, Suite 1000, keeps on truckin’. joyable stroll — down memory lane, as we And that reminds me of another axiom: Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio 44221 considered what to do with photos, past is- The more things change, the more they P:330-836-9180 F:330-836-2831 sues, equipment, of ce supplies, conference stay the same. CRAIN COMMUNICATIONS INC Keith E. Crain Mary Kay Crain Letters to the Editor Chairman Vice chairman KC Crain Chris Crain President Senior executive Tire Business encourages letters to the editor on any subject of interest vice president Lexie Crain to independent tire dealers. Send a letter to: Editor, Tire Business, 2291 Armstrong Robert Recchia Riverfront Pkwy, Suite 1000, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio 44221. Letters also can Secretary C h i e f n a n c i a l o f c e r be emailed to [email protected]. G.D. Crain Jr. Gertrude R. Crain Founder Chairman Letters must be signed and may be edited for length and clarity. Please (1885-1973) (1911-1996) include a daytime phone number for veri cation purposes. Letters also may be published on TB’s website: www.tirebusiness.com. Visit us on the web at www.tirebusiness.com TIRE BUSINESS, April 15, 2019 • 7

with local deployment. And local but probably 85 or 90 of those don’t Giti deployment means local deployment have that capability.” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 of the design, local industrialization Giti is the 11th largest tire man- And most of these brands have much in the nearest factory in the market.” ufacturer globally, based on Tire higher recognition. So we know we Production capacity is shared Business, rankings. have to rebuild it,” Mr. May eld among Giti’s eight plants in China, the “We’re amongst that very top tier said. “And the way we’re going to U.S. and Indonesia, so capacity is used that has that global footprint, glob- do it, we’re going to provide a great where it makes the most sense, he said. al R&D capability, global technol- value for our dealer customers to be While the U.S. plant will manufac- ogy platform and distributing and able to make money selling the tire, ture a signi cant amount of tires for manufacturing in three different and then it’s going North America, Giti countries. It’s a big advantage that to be sold in the still will import some you have to be able to optimize your marketplace at a product and certain global footprint,” Mr. Fulton said. great value to the consumer. sizes to meet demand the U.S. plant The plants in China, the U.S. and In- “So we get our tires into the mar- cannot ful ll currently and because donesia are interlinked, which speeds ket, consumers experience them certain facilities are designed to be up the processes and troubleshooting and, over time, we’ll be able to build more ef cient in producing certain of any problems that arise, he said. the brand the way we need to. As products and sizes, Giti of cials said. “This is one of the bene ts of why Tire Business photo by Kathy McCarron we launch our Aventuro HT, as we “There are not that many tire com- we feel that this is going to propel Giti Tire of cials, from left, Phang Wai Yeen, Giti's executive director of launch other GT Radial products, panies in the world that have that capa- the organization’s penetration and international R&D centers; Hank Eisenga, vice president of manufacturing; new and exciting products, we’ll bility, so we’re trying to compete with participation in the U.S. because we Tim Fulton, CEO of Giti North America; and Jim May eld, senior executive build this brand the way we believe those global players,” Mr. Fulton said. are now actually pretty complete,” vice president of sales and marketing, show off the Richburg plant's ware- it can be built,” Mr. May eld said. “You’ve got a hundred tire companies Mr. Fulton said. house lled with new Maxtour XL tires. Automated production The highly automated equipment in Giti’s state-of-the-art plant en- ables improved accuracy in mixing the compounds and assembling the components, said Phang Wai Yeen, Giti’s executive director of international research and development COUNT ON PROVEN EXCELLENCE. centers. “At the end of the day, the nal part of the components, the nal part of the performance actually comes from the accuracy of the COUNT ON SUMITOMO. components, the accuracy of how we actually put the tire through the whole process. ... It is what we call the enabler of the engineer’s dream,” Mr. Yeen said, adding, “You need a state-of-the-art plant where the tire can actually be replicated exactly the way it was designed.” Even though the plant is highly automated, it still depends on human workers to oversee the operations, according to Mr. Yeen. “It’s not so simple, even though it’s automated,” he said. “(The tire builder’s) eyes are always on the tire, making sure the machine is actually doing exactly what it is supposed to do. ... It is a skill. That’s why crafts- manship remains the all-important element in tire manufacturing.” After the tires are transported through the automated building and curing processes, workers visually inspect them at the end of the line before they go to the adjacent warehouse. The warehouse is stocked with thousands of Maxtour XL tires ready for distribution to North American tire dealerships. Global R&D As part of its strategy, Giti re- located its North American R&D center, responsible for developing products speci cally for the North American market, from Akron to a building next door to the new tire plant. Becoming an outstanding commercial tire brand requires excellence in all areas, not just one. This center is linked online with Giti’s other R&D centers in Indone- Sumitomo’s product quality, application coverage and ll rate were ranked in the Top 3 by sia, China, Germany and the United nearly 600 dealers in the last 3 Tire Review annual surveys.* Count on proven excellence, Kingdom so they can share information and research, Mr. Yeen said. count on Sumitomo. Learn more at SumitomoTruckTires.com. “So you can say it is local (development), but it is global. The struc- *Survey conducted by Marketplace Insights on behalf of Tire Review ture is global,” he said. for its 2018 Brand Study (August 2018 Sourcebook issue). “With the R&D here, it is listen- ing to the market. The local team, they grew up here, they live here, they know exactly what is needed, he said. “It will enable the faster deployment of the products. “So effectively, we have what we For what drives you. call a global technology platform, 8 • April 15, 2019, TIRE BUSINESS Visit us on the web at www.tirebusiness.com AutomotiveService Sensata GM: TPMS technology impacting aftermarket industry Q&A are impacting all of our end-markets tions as well as a strong presence in as well as continue to have positive ing exactly which tires are mounted. — auto, heavy-duty, industrial, aero- the aftermarket. That is a great value bene ts towards fuel economy. By Kathy McCarron space — in different ways and each that Sensata/Schrader brings to the Q: Will new automotive tech- [email protected] of those trends require sensing solu- aftermarket — that we have a link to Q: Are there other technolo- nology, designed to solve prob- Kelly Boor, general manager of Sensa- tions as part of the overall response the OE. It gives us a greater insight gies/components you are work- lems, create new ones? ta Technologies Inc.’s global aftermarket to those trend-driven requirements. ... into what’s coming down the pipeline ing on with tire manufacturers? A: Despite our best efforts, there business, which includes Schrader-brand As vehicles become more electri- in terms of products and customer A: We are always working on new are growing pains and issues we tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) ed, Sensata has invested in develop- needs that the aftermarket will need technology that requires information didn’t foresee at the beginning. It’s a sensors, discusses ing a portfolio of sensing solutions that to address at some point in the future. from the road to the vehicle’s systems. natural part of developing new tech- how new technology meet these technology requirements. That requires not only our own devel- nologies, but managed correctly, will impact the after- It is a similar story with TPMS. Sen- Q: Is there more development opment but also strong partnerships to can become opportunities. market. sata has a portfolio of sensors used in to come for the TPMS component? provide the right solution for our cus- When TPMS was introduced, a Sensata is a $3.5 safety applications and has expanded A: Yes, there will be advancements tomers. As our sensors grow smarter, portion of the market saw it as an billion/year global that portfolio (through the Schrad- in the technology itself. We think that we learn that we can measure different issue for garages, rather than a val- industrial technology er acquisition) to include TPMS. In the socket has an important role in things around the tire and provide that ue. But, with customize solutions for company providing addition, we have further developed advancing some of the safety-mobili- information in real-time. We are work- the aftermarket, like the EZ-sensor, sensing solutions TPMS to address needs beyond auto ty applications within automotive and ing to make that information not only those garages are able to convert this and electrical protec- Boor — i.e. HVOR (heavy vehicle, off road) even in other end-markets, as well. I available to the vehicle, but through into a better service to their custom- tion for the automo- and the aftermarket. do think that there are continued de- our Smart & Connected initiative, to ers, generating more revenue to them. tive, heavy-duty, off-road, industrial and Tire-pressure-sensing solutions will velopments, enhancements and more make it available on the cloud. If you look at TPMS, not only do aerospace markets. continue to play a pretty important features and data insight that we will we have a skilled technical team that is role in advancing safety, mobility and be able to give to tire pressure sens- Q: How will new technology/ working on R&D and the product de- Q: What is Schrader working even energy ef ciency and fuel econ- ing solutions in the future. components impact the auto re- velopment, we also have a skilled tech- on now and what technologies omy. In the case of the heavy-vehicle pair industry? nical services and training team. These is it focusing on? segment, this segment really does Q: Are all these TPMS-sensing A: I think if I were to take a step folks are literally out with the shop A: We (OE business) are facing care about total cost of ownership. We capabilities leading to use in au- back and look at the history of Schrad- owners, they’re out visiting customers signi cant discontinuities driven by think that TPMS can play a role in tonomous vehicles? er in the aftermarket, Schrader was and really capturing their voices. mega-trends, electri cation, safety that. It does now and it will continue A: In the case of TPMS, it would the rst to market with the EZ sensor. At the user level, we see the impact advancements/autonomy as well as even more so in the future. ... continue to play a key role in ad- It was the rst single SKU program- of the products that we provide and a more digital world. Those trends We have market-leading OE posi- vancements in safety and mobility mable sensor that really made it easy, saying, “Is this really easy to install?” as its name implies, for our customers or “Are the instructions clear?” I to service tires and TPMS. think down to that level, when we’re The customer also bene ts from having issues, you’re able to feed that SKU reduction and associated inven- back into the product development tory costs. It was a pretty interesting team as part of the development cycle innovation where we were able to and you hope you are able to do that really draw upon our experience on on a real-time basis and address more the OE side, where we were already concerns that way or more potential the market leader for tire-pressure issues that could arise later. sensing for the automotive space, and In the case where we have some marry that with the needs of the af- bumps in the road, something I think termarket customer. we do really well is making sure that This really goes back to the bene- we are working with our customers. t of Sensata’s market-leading posi- If the issue impacts a customer, we tions in OE on our aftermarket de- are there to support them and quick- velopments. It really means that you ly nd the root cause, diagnose the are in the conversation with your OE problem and resolve it. customers as to what features they are incorporating into their speci- Q: So would you say it behooves cations in their vehicles and our suppliers to provide training as tech- ability to access that road map and nology becomes more complex? that understanding, because we are A: I do think that will continue all part of the same company. to be an important part of the after- It really is an advantage for us and market. … The aftermarket winners is different than some of our pure af- are those that are going to be able termarket competitors. We’re always to take fairly complicated systems looking at what is planned for the OE, and really do a great job of training what is on our OE team’s roadmap and and/or enhancing the offering or the ensuring that we’re incorporating the product to make it easier for our af- OE design and enhancing it because termarket customers to service those we have the insight into what the af- vehicles. Training is one of those el- termarket customer actually needs. ements and there are different ways Our aftermarket customers value that you can do that. You can be live and visibility so that they can better pre- there at the shop, which is kind of pare themselves and their businesses hard to do for every one of your cus- to support the customer of the future. tomers, but I certainly think digital We see a general trend in connectiv- and other ways of providing that ity and data, and we believe that will type of service and information will also hit the aftermarket, more spe- also become even more important in ci cally the tire. Everything around the future as well. the tire is being designed to provide electronic data, either through RFID Q: How should auto repair tags, TPMS sensors or both. More shops prepare their businesses recently, some vehicles were released for upcoming technology? with a feature called “Tire Fill Alert,” A: You’ve got time to see how it where the TPMS sensor detects that shakes out on the OE side of things. the tire is being lled and the vehicle But again, I think partnering with gives an alert when the recommend- an aftermarket solutions provider ed pressure is reached. That certainly that has both an OE presence as well helps against pressure stations that do as an aftermarket presence is really not have accurate gauges from incor- valuable in that case. rect in ation. Engage — the aftermarket associ- Some TPMS sensors are also hold- ations are great avenues to gather in- ing information about the tire, such sight; have robust discussions and a as speed rating, size, etc., allowing channel for that voice to be heard by the vehicle to make a better decision customers, suppliers and regulatory on safety, comfort and others, know- bodies; networking; and learning. Visit us on the web at www.tirebusiness.com TIRE BUSINESS, April 15, 2019 • 9 AutomotiveService Readers react to issues from disconnected battery By Dan Marinucci able that neatly and quickly link dif cult to keep alligator clips se- [email protected] Dan Marinucci your auxiliary power source to these curely connected during the battery n ounce of prevention is worth is a freelance terminals inside the diagnostic con- disconnect / reconnect procedures. a pound of cure. This old ad- automotive nector — and therefore, to the car’s I’ve watched techs accidentally Aage aptly sums up a sensible service writer and electrical system. Sliding the appro- dislodge the alligator clips from the approach to disconnecting batteries former editor of priate adapter onto the underdash battery terminals during these ma- from unfamiliar vehicles. two automotive connector is a snap. neuvers. My columns in recent issues of service magazines. This fellow wanted to connect In my experience, linking auxilia- Tire Business (March 4, March 18) auxiliary power directly to the bat- ry power to the underdash diagnos- describe the potential perils of dis- You see, since 1996, a typical ve- tery’s terminals with jumper wires tic connector with the appropriate connecting a battery from a vehicle hicle has an industry-standard diag- and alligator clamps. slide-on adapter cable is the easiest, without providing auxiliary power nostic access connector somewhere Although this approach is tech- most-secure method. to it beforehand. under the left side of the dashboard. nically correct, it may be awkward Tire Business photo by Michael McCrady A battery disconnect may erase The connector’s terminal 4 is and counterproductive. You see, a Dan can be reached via e-mail at tirebusi- Disconnecting a battery may erase some of the memory inside on- chassis ground; terminal 16 is bat- battery’s location and terminal type [email protected]. His previous columns are some of the memory inside on-board board computers temporarily, caus- tery power. Adapter cables are avail- (top or side terminal) may make it available at www.tirebusiness.com. computers temporarily. ing strange symptoms after a tech- nician reconnects the battery to the vehicle. In my March 18 column (Page 7, “Auxiliary power saves vital computer memory”), I described a tech- nique for providing auxiliary power to a vehicle prior to disconnecting its battery for any reason. Some readers have responded to these topics with interesting questions. First, a fellow asked about the consequences of disconnecting the battery on a 1993 Cadillac that he stored for the winter. An educated guess on my part — a hunch — is that disconnecting the battery on a relatively simple 1993 vehicle shouldn’t cause much trouble. Of course, he would have to reset the car’s digital clock. Thereafter, this car probably would perform ne after he drove it for a short time. However, I’m reluctant to make hard, fast judgments — especially on unfamiliar vehicles. Battery disconnect has fooled me. For example, I’m doing homework on a car at a service shop or tire dealership. A task requires disconnecting the battery; I gamble that a simplis- tic-looking vehicle won’t suffer if I disconnect its battery without attach- ing auxiliary power to it rst. But after I reconnect the car’s battery, the automatic transmission shifts late and harshly. Then it takes 30 minutes of road testing to normalize the transmission again. This extended road testing en- ables the car’s transmission computer to “re-learn” its normal values for shift timing and shift quality. Recently, I saw a ummoxed customer return to a shop with a 2017 Subaru WRX. Ordinarily, briey touching the power window button in the up direction made the window rise completely. Momentarily touching the button in the down direction low- ered the window completely. But following the repairs the shop performed, this automatic up / down feature didn’t work. Instead, the owner had to hold the button in the up or down direction to raise or lower the window completely. Fortunately, a Subaru specialist buddy of mine clued us to a simple reset procedure for the windows’ automatic function following a battery disconnect. But mind you, this is just one example on one modern vehicle. What other surprises are out there? Another reader inquired about connecting auxiliary power directly to a battery’s terminals instead of the diagnostic connector under the dashboard. 10 • April 15, 2019, TIRE BUSINESS Visit us on the web at www.tirebusiness.com Tire Business Special Feature CommercialTire& RetreadingReport Plus scrap tire and recycling update M&A continues to drive commercial sector Southern Tire Mart, Bauer Built deals headline the consolidation trend By Bruce Davis it acquired — in Fontana, Norwalk and Par- [email protected] North American commercial tire snapshot amount — and keeping open the one in San AKRON Diego along with a retread plant in Fontana. 2018/19 will go down in as one of the com- Medium truck/bus tires (000 units) Parkhouse took on 75 GCR employees. mercial tire industry’s most active periods in 2016 % Chng 2017 % Chng 2018 Bauer Built’s acquisition of Allied Oil’s tire terms of mergers/acquisitions, with as many as business — a deal that includes a Michelin Re- 75 points of sale/service and 14 retread plants U.S. repl. shipments 18,600 5.9% 19,700 8.1% 21,300 tread Technologies (MRTI) retread plant and a changing hands over the past 12 months. U.S. imports1 13,892 5.1% 14,604 17.1% 17,106 wheel-re nishing operation in Omaha — ex- Topping the list are Southern Tire Mart’s tends the Durand, Wis.-based dealership’s reach pending acquisition of 46 GCR Tires & Ser- Canada repl. shipments 1,862 3.2% 1,922 1.5% 1,951 to 40 commercial sales/service locations and vice commercial tire locations and six retread U.S. OE shipments 5,000 9.7% 5,400 20.4% 6,500 eight retread plants in 10 Midwestern states. plants from Bridgestone Americas Inc. and Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Bauer Built Inc.’s acquisition of the tire divi- U.S. production 13,700 2.2% 14,000 2.9% 14,400 Bauer Built called the acquisition a “perfect sion of Allied Oil & Tire Co. — seven outlets U.S. exports 2,407 10.5% 2,660 31.2% 3,491 t” since Allied offers many of the same prod- and one retread plant in ve states. ucts as Bauer Built — both companies are part Southern Tire Mart’s deal with Bridgestone/ U.S. retread production 14,500 -1.4% 14,300 N.C. 14,300 of the Michelin Commercial Service Network GCR will expand STM’s reach to more than and operate MRT retread plants — and geo- Light truck (000 units) graphically it both strengthens Bauer Built’s current position and lls void in existing mar- U.S. repl. shipments 31,900 -2.2% 31,200 1.0% 31,600 kets and provides for expansion into new areas. U.S. imports1 27,885 -4.3% 26,684 -5.5% 25,220 135 commercial tire locations in 14 states and boost annual sales past the $1.7 billion mark, Canada repl. shipments 3,114 15.0% 3,581 3.5% 3,710 according to John Boynton, who helps oversee U.S. OE shipments 4,900 9.9% 5,400 3.7% 5,600 the STM business for the business’ owners, Jim and Tom Duff. U.S. production 28,300 -7.8% 26,100 -3.1% 25,300 STM anticipates some U.S. exports 8,666 -4.9% 8,308 9.9% 9,134 consolidation among its ex- 1 — Imports are included in the U.S. replacement market numbers. tion of Canada; U.S. isting locations and those Sources: U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association; Tire and Rubber Associa- Department of Commerce; Tire & Retread Repair Information Bureau being acquired, Mr. Boyn- ton said, as well as consid- tices,” he said, noting that STM expects to plus locations and 18 retread plants in the U.S. The Allied Oil tire business, which operates erable growth opportuni- bene t from the knowledge coming on board. and Canada, down from 200-plus sales/ser- commercial tire centers in Des Moines and ties, both geographically Southern Tire Mart has a long history of vice outlets and 29 retread plants at the busi- Sioux City, Iowa; Wichita, Kan.; Kansas City and product-wise, such as growing by acquisition, Mr. Boynton said, so ness unit’s height several years ago. and Joplin, Mo.; Sioux Falls, S.D.; and Omaha, adding OTR sales/service T. Duff he doesn’t anticipate major problems in inte- For its part, Bridgestone said the deal re- reported sales of $102.7 million in scal 2017. to some traditionally medi- grating the GCR activities into STM. ects its position of continually evaluating its By comparison, Bauer Built’s commer- um-truck-oriented locations. Twenty of the 46 locations being acquired are distribution strategies to ensure it is meeting cial-related sales last year were $185 million. Mr. Boynton — a former in Texas, where STM already had a dozen outlets. the needs of its eet customers through both Bauer Built will be retaining nearly 90 of Bridgestone/Bandag execu- Bridgestone/GCR was involved in a few other GCR stores and independent dealers. Allied Tire’s employees and expects to be hir- tive who joined STM last Oc- divestment deals throughout the year, including: Scott Damon, president, Commercial Group, ing a few more as the merger moves forward. tober after nearly three years  The sale of four GCR service locations U.S. and Canada for Bridgestone Americas, said, When the companies are merged, Bauer esti- heading up Tredroc Tire Ser- and two retread plants in January to Park- “We believe partnering with Southern Tire Mart mates it will have a workforce of about 600. vice — said above all else, house Tire Inc. of Bell Gardens, Calif.; and allows us to further strengthen our commercial With the divestiture, Allied will revert to its Southern Tire Mart considers  The sale or closing of 17 stores and tire distribution network and position the growth Allied Oil & Supply Inc. name and focus on the people running GCR the J. Duff three retread plants in Quebec, including one of our brands and eet solutions.” expansion of its lubricants business and Indus- No. 1 asset it is acquiring. Bandag plant to Pneus Metro Inc. of Montreal. In Southern California, Parkhouse Tire trial Services division. “I believe we (STM) will bene t from Once completed, the pending deal with has consolidated the GCR business it took Allied Oil has been af liated with Michelin learning some of their (GCR) business prac. Southern Tire Mart will shrink GCR to 130- over, closing three of the four GCR locations SEE COMMERCIAL , PAGE 24 Yokohama revises expectations at Miss. truck tire plant By Bruce Davis Manufacturing Mississippi L.L.C. unit in West subsidiary and of the outlook for recovering in- its plant in Mie, Japan — which has the same [email protected] Point. vestment there.” type of tire-building machines — are engaged TOKYO In the document, Yokohama cited a number In the ling, Yokohama noted that the plant in training personnel at West Point. Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. has scaled back of reasons for the plant’s performance, includ- has operated at less than half of its projected Prior to taking the asset impairment charge production expectations for its U.S. truck tire ing: output levels since it opened. The issues have last year, Yokohama dismissed 29 employees at factory in West Point, Miss., due to a combi-  Teething problems of “modern and ef - contributed to operating losses totaling $164 the plant because they did not meet “pre-em- nation of facility- and personnel-related issues. cient” production machines; million compiled by the rm’s North American ployment requirements.” The $300 million plant, which opened in  Delayed ramp-up in process capability; operations over the past four years. In 2013, Yokohama Tire Corp. donated 2015 with a nameplate capacity of 1 million  Personnel hiring behind plan, in part due “We continue to aggressively address the $500,000 to East Mississippi Community Col- medium truck tires a year, was on track to pro- to high turnover rate; and challenges of running a brand new facility and lege and Mississippi State University to help duce only about half of that in 2018, Yokohama  Insuf cient education and training due to increasing production output,” YRC said in No- establish worker training-related courses ahead said in a stock exchange ling in late 2018. the turnover rate. vember. “The facility has all the necessary ele- of the plant’s opening. In the same document, Yokohama rescaled the In a statement, Yokohama said: “Achieving ments for success — state-of-the-art equipment, At the ground-breaking for the plant in 2013, plant’s production target by 2021 to 843,000 tires. pro tability at the subsidiary has taken longer a dedicated and highly trained workforce, expe- Yokohama executives stated that the 570-acre Yokohama took a $102 million “asset impair- than management anticipated when production rienced and skilled management — and we will West Point site could accommodate a plant four ment charge” against its third quarter earnings began there, and management has recorded as- continue to invest in our technology, our people times the size of the one being built. An oper- to account for a “reassessment” of the pro tabili- set impairment in accordance with a prudent and our production capabilities to meet our goals” ation that size would require a workforce of up ty of and business outlook for its Yokohama Tire reassessment of the business outlook for the The company also noted that engineers from to 2,000 employees. Visit us on the web at www.tirebusiness.com TIRE BUSINESS, April 15, 2019 • 11 Tire Business Special Feature CommercialTire&RetreadingReport Rice Tire buys Central Tire Dealership expands reach to 11 locations FREDERICK, Md. of Pennsylvania, North Carolina, with its 11th location and second re- Rice Tire Co. has acquired Cen- West Virginia and Washington, D.C. tread shop. Rice Tire also operates tral Tire Co., a 73-year-old commer- Rice Tire said it acquired all busi- ve locations in Maryland, four in cial/retail dealership in Verona, Va., ness assets and will employ approx- Virginia and one in Washington, expanding its reach to 11 locations imately 30 former Central Tire em- D.C., and a Goodyear retread plant. Rice Tire Co. photo in Maryland, Virginia and Wash- ployees. Financial details were not Central Tire’s retread plant uses Al- Finalizing the Rice Tire acquisition of Central Tire are, from left, Brian Chase, ington, D.C. disclosed. liance Group’s AcuTread mold-cure Rice Tire's strategic account manager; former Central Tire owners Tommy Central Tire was founded by the Rice Tire President and CEO retreading system, as well as the Good- and Terry Westhafer; Rice Tire President and CEO Chris Chase; and Angela late Guy Westhafer in 1945 and for Chris Chase said the Westhafers year system. Mr. Chase said the plant Chase, majority owner of Rice Tire. the past four decades has been run agreed to the sale as they didn’t will continue offering both products. industry. He’s a former president Automotive Association. by his sons, Terry and Tommy. have a next generation to take over Terry Westhafer is a member of of the American Retreaders As- Rice Tire, the 30th largest com- Central Tire consists of a retail the dealership. the Tire Industry Hall of Fame, in- sociation and served on the boards mercial tire dealership in North store, a commercial store and a re- The Verona location is rebranded ducted in 2008 by the Tire Indus- of the International Tire & Rubber America based on sales, was found- tread plant that services customers as Rice Tire. try Association for his decades of Association, Tire Retread & Repair ed by Donald B. Rice in Frederick throughout Virginia and into parts The acquisition provides Rice Tire work on behalf of the retreading Information Bureau and Virginia in 1956. TRAC adds tire service unit in Ky. PRINCETON, N.J. Intermodal equipment provider TRAC Intermodal has acquired assets relating to the tire services division of Core Fleet Inc., a deal that will allow TRAC to provide tire wholesale, service, parts distribution and retreading to the intermodal and commercial trucking industries. Princeton-based TRAC is setting up a new subsidiary, TRAC Tire Services L.L.C., to oversee the new business, which will operate out of a 102,000-sq.- ft. facility being set up in Florence, Ky., that will accommodate an expanded production facility, warehouse space and administrative of ces. The new facility will enable TRAC Tire to double the retread manufacturing capacity of the assets being acquired, which had been operating as Retread America since 2008 under Core Fleet’s ownership. That business has provided new tire wholesale and parts distribution, and has been a signi cant supplier to the tire retread market since its inception, TRAC said. Retread America operated an Oliver Rubber-system retread plant in Florence and carried major tire brands such as Michelin, BFGoodrich, Hankook, WestLake and Iron Man. TRAC did not say whether it would continue operating under the Oliver system or what brands it intends to carry. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. “This acquisition will enable us to provide improved eet tire solutions to Proven to be a Better our customers while controlling their quality and cost,” TRAC Intermodal President and CEO Jennifer Polli said. Long-Term Value “The mission of TRAC’s new subsidiary is to supply customers with high In recent fuel e ciency tests conducted by a neutral, independent quality, comprehensive services, includ- research fi rm, Double Coin went head-to-head against two leading ing tire wholesale, parts supply, main- TBR tire brands. We fi nished second. Even though we didn’t fi nish tenance and retreading, to meet their fi rst, our success proves one thing—our tires deliver more value to commercial eets’ needs,” she said. the customer—and it makes the simple point that the Smart Money TRAC Intermodal claims to be North America’s largest provider of is still on Double Coin. intermodal marine equipment and chassis pool manager, with a eet of Read about it at: www.DoubleCoinTires.com/fuel-e ciency about 180,000 marine and specialty chassis available in North America. TRAC Intermodal began in 1968 To fi nd your local dealer, visit: www.DoubleCoinTires.com as Interpool Ltd., a company that provided dry-freight containers under long-term leases to the world’s ©2019 CMA, LLC. largest shipping lines. 12 • April 15, 2019, TIRE BUSINESS Visit us on the web at www.tirebusiness.com Tire Business Special Feature CommercialTire&RetreadingReport Conti continues to expand BestDrive network FORT MILL, S.C. BestDrive Managing Director Sonny East Texas eets, BestDrive said. Continental Tire the Americas’ Simpson said the new locations will en- BestDrive acquired Contractors BestDrive L.L.C. commercial tire and able BestDrive to “serve our customers Tire Co. Inc. in Marietta to support retread operation opened seven loca- more ef ciently” and help eets achieve its Forest Park, Ga., retread plant, and tions across the country in late 2018, “LODC” (lowest overall driving cost). opened a sales of ce/mobile service expanding the BestDrive network to BestDrive said it will supply the site in Idaho Falls to support its re- 31 commercial tire centers across 17 new locations in Oklahoma City and tread plant in Salt Lake City. states. Longview — which opened for busi- “BestDrive’s continued expansion New centers opened in Little Rock, ness within days of each other last allows us to better serve our long- Ark.; Los Angeles; Marietta, Ga.; November — with retreads produced haul, regional-haul and on/off-road Idaho Falls, Idaho; Oklahoma City; at its Dallas plant. eet customers,” Steve Postel, Con- and Longview and Houston, Texas. The Oklahoma City center, which tinental’s director of retail for the The new locations were all conver- spans 25,000 square feet, is located Americas region, said. sions of existing facilities. BestDrive west of the city proper at an exit along Earlier in 2018, BestDrive opened

BestDrive L.L.C. photo did not disclose its investment in the I-40. The Longview service center is two stores in Texas, including the re- The BestDrive Redlands, Calif., location is part of the network’s recent ex- openings nor comment on their staff- located on South Loop 281 near Texas tread plant in Grand Prairie, a west- pansion. ing levels. I-20, providing ready access for local ern Dallas suburb. “BestDrive is committed to serv- ing eets across the U.S. with new tires, retreads and tire monitoring technology,” Mr. Simpson said. “We continue to add locations to A LONG WAY support our goal of delivering the ‘Lowest Overall Driving Cost’ to local and national eet customers.” BestDrive commercial tire centers offer eet tire management with Con- tinental, General and AmeriSteel brand products, as well as other supplemental TOGETHER tire brands. The dealerships equip eets with new tires and ContiTread retreads as part of the ContiLifeCycle program, the company said. Yokohama Tire Corp. photo Yokohama Tire Corp. has released a tire information video series for truck drivers. Yokohama releases ‘Tire Tips’ video series for truckers

SANTA ANA, Calif. Yokohama Tire Corp. has released a “Tire Tips” video series designed to help truck drivers identify and prevent tire issues before they become a problem. “We are always looking for ways to help eets and drivers in regards to their tires,” Alan Holtschneider, Yo- kohama’s director of marketing, said. “They already know how important tires are, so we created these informative how-to videos to edu- All-Steel casing cate them on various ways to get the most out of them.” Extra-long tread life The new series complements a se- Excellent traction ries for consumers that debuted in 2010 and was updated last year with Superior stability 10 new segments. Steel belts The subjects of the commercial SR 41 truck tire videos are: • Choosing the right tire; • Improving the life of your tires; • How to properly check tread depth; BKT USA Inc. 2660 West Market St., Suite 100 • Why proper air pressure matters; Fairlawn (Akron) - OH 44333 • Matching tires with axle-load Toll free: (+1) 888-660-0662 - Ofﬁce: (+1) 330-836-1090 capacities; and Fax: (+1) 330-836-1091 • When is a tire repairable? ADVERTORIAL

The Bridgestone Fleets We Depend On campaign spotlights the fl eets our communities depend on most – from fi refi ghters to long-haul delivery drivers and fi rst responders – and how Bandag retreads help them get the job done.

DELIVERING RELIABLE AND PROFITABLE SOLUTIONS FOR ANY FLEET By Eric Higgs, president, truck, bus and retread tires, U.S. and Canada, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations

s today’s fl eets work to meet the for retreading through the Fleets We Depend On challenges of on-time deliveries and campaign, launched in March 2019. The campaign increasing customer expectations, they The new Bridgestone R284 spotlights the fl eets our communities depend on Ecopia tire delivers long can’t afford unexpected downtime. wear life and improved most – from fi refi ghters to long-haul delivery drivers AToday’s fl eets demand more from their business rolling resistance. and fi rst responders – and how Bandag retreads help assets, including their tires. They expect and require them get the job done. their tires to go further, last longer and keep their Overall, selecting the right tire that not only operations running smoothly. By managing a tire delivers on performance, but also affects business throughout its lifecycle – from selection to removal objectives and is foundational for a fl eet’s tire – fl eets can signifi cantly impact their bottom line and program. Fleets must be deliberate with their tire make mobility more effi cient. maintenance and retread management programs to fuel-effi cient tires at every wheel position to reduce help achieve business goals and identify opportunities Bridgestone Ecopia tires: fuel costs. In fact, fl eets have saved up to $1,393 for savings. Through working with a trusted dealer annually in fuel costs by using Bridgestone Ecopia partner to implement this comprehensive approach, Lower your fuel costs tires at every wheel position.1 fl eets can pave the way for more effi cient mobility. Bridgestone understands that fl eets need the most reliable tires, designed specifi cally for their business Better together: Fuel operations, in order to see impactful benefi ts. For example, with high-speed, long-haul operations, effi cient tires & retreads fuel-effi cient tires and retreads can have a signifi cant Fleets can further increase impact on a fl eet’s business. The Bridgestone Ecopia their savings by implementing a tire line includes features that can deliver improved retreading program, inclusive of fuel effi ciency, ultimately creating savings for fl eets to fuel-effi cient retread offerings. reinvest back into their business. A proprietary fuel- Bandag, a brand in the Bridgestone saver sidewall compound and patented NanoPro-Tech family dedicated to the research, polymer technology are specially engineered to limit development and manufacturing energy loss for improved rolling resistance. of premium retreads, has created The Ecopia line utilizes an Intellishape Sidewall the FuelTech retread line to design to lower bead fi ller volume, which reduces complement Bridgestone Ecopia total tire weight, lowers rolling resistance and tires and drive down fuel costs. generates greater savings. Bridgestone recognizes the After selecting a reliable, fuel-effi cient tire like an advantages of retreads and is Bridgestone Ecopia tires are designed to work with Bandag FuelTech retreads to Ecopia tire, fl eet managers can fi t their trucks with promoting the business case lower the total cost of tire ownership and reduce fuel costs.

COMMERCIAL.BRIDGESTONE.COM

Sources: 1Bridgestone R283A™ Ecopia (in steer position), M710™ Ecopia (in drive position), and R197™ Ecopia (in trailer position) in size 295/75R22.5 load range G, compared to the equivalent size and load range of Mi- chelin X-Line Energy Z (in steer position), X-Line Energy D (in drive position), and X-Line Energy T (in trailer position). Rolling resistance and wear results obtained from Bridgestone internal TLCC model which incorporates third party SAE J1269 rolling resistance testing and measures results over the life of the tire. Savings calculated assuming $3.00/gallon fuel cost, 5/32nds pull point, 80,000 lbs. total vehicle weight, for a class 8 tandem drive axle tractor and single trailer combination traveling 120,000 miles/year. Projected wear results based on ﬁ eld test data across multiple users in long haul ﬂ eet application. Actual results will vary depending on several factors such as tire size, operating conditions, maintenance, road conditions, and driving style. 14 • April 15, 2019, TIRE BUSINESS Visit us on the web at www.tirebusiness.com

North America’s largest commercial dealerships The 50 largest independents in the U.S. and Canada, based on 2018 sales

Commercial Company Commercial Retread Rank Sales Owned Employees: Service System<>/ Rank 2019 Company/Headquarters ($ millions) Outlets Services/Sales Trucks No. of plants 2018 1 1 Southern Tire Mart L.L.C. 1,250.0 94 <--1,850 --> 945 • • • • • Dc,To B / 18 1 Columbia, Miss. 2 Snider Fleet Solutions *500.0 85 600 / 100 450 • • • • • Hk M / 10; O / 1 5 Greensboro, N.C. 2 3 Best One Tire & Service L.L.C. 435.0 149 N.A. 500+ • • • • • • • Da,Dc, B / 17 3 Indianapolis Rm,Sa,To 4 Pomp’s Tire Service Inc. *428.0 94^ N.A. 415 • • • • • • • Da,Dc,Hk,Ks B / 16 4 Green Bay, Wis. 5 Kal Tire 405.0# 133^ N.A. 7,000 • • • • Sa,Su B / 10 2 Vernon, British Columbia m.c. / 2 6 McCarthy Tire Service Co. Inc. 345.9 47^ N.A. 310 • • • • • • • Da B / 7 7 Wilkes-Barre, Pa. 3 7 Les Schwab Tire Centers 338.1 429 N.A. 1,500 • • • • Dc,Fk,To Mg,O / 3 6 Bend, Ore.

WE’RE HERE TO HELP TAKE YOUR FLEET FURTHER Get started at Commercial.Bridgestone.com

Service Tire Truck Centers Inc. *247.5 45^ 336 / 85 247 Rm M / 3, O / 1 8 • • • • 4/4/19 5:188 PM Bethlehem, Pa. 4 9 Fountain Tire Ltd. 238.9# 109^ 489 / 225 387 • • Ae,Du,Ju,Ks G / 6 24 Edmonton, Alberta 10 Purcell Tire & Rubber Co. 195.5 69^ 165 / 125 150 • • • Du,Hk,Ks,Rm G / 4 10 Potosi, Mo. 5 11 Bauer Built Inc. 184.6 34^ 150 / 115 100 • • • • Am,Cn,He, M / 7 9 Durand, Wis. Ku,Un 12 Boulevard Tire Center 178.6 22^ 311 / 34 187 • • • • • • • Da,Hk,Rm B / 4 11 Deland, Fla. 13 T&W Tire Inc. 177.6 30^ <---525---> 125 • • • • Ae,Hk,Sa,Su M / 4 14 Oklahoma City 6 14 Parkhouse Tire Inc. 170.0 12 <---400---> 160 • • • • • • Da,Dc,Rm,Tr B / 4 13 Bell Gardens, Calif. 15 Tredroc Tire Services 150.0 19 252 / 45 300 • • • • • • Da,Fk,Hk,Rm B / 6 12 Antioch, Ill. 16 Redburn Tire Co. 123.0 13 <--- 290 ---> 125 • • • • • • • Da,Dc,Rm,Tr B / 5 15 Phoenix 17 Bob Sumerel Tire Co. 115.0 18^ 90 / 50 70 • • • • • • Da,Rm B / 7 17 Erlanger, Ky. 7 18 Allied Oil & Tire Co. *112.0 7^ 33 /37 31 • • Au,Hk,To,Un M / 1 18 Omaha, Neb. 19 Atlanta Commercial Tire 105.0 15^ 120 / 85 55 • • • • • • • Am,Da,Hk,Un B / 3 16 Forest Park, Ga. 20 Ziegler Tire & Supply Co. 91.0 19^ 80 / 35 80 • • • • • • • Da,Sa,Su,Un M / 2 19 Massillon, Ohio 21 Sullivan Tire Co. Inc. 90.0 15^ N.A. 79 • • • • Da,Du,Gl,Ks B / 3 21 Norwell, Mass. 22 Raben Tire Co. Inc. *87.5 23^ N.A. 99 • • • • • • Du,Gt,Hk, G / 2, O / 1 20 Evansville, Ind. Ks,Sa,Un 23 Cross Dillon Tire *81.0 7^ N.A. N.A. • • • • • Rm B / 2 22 Lincoln, Neb. 24 Pete’s Tire Barn Inc. 70.5 18^ 167 / 30 118 • • • • • • Da,Dc,Dt B / 2 23 Orange, Mass. 25 Jack’s Tire & Oil Inc. 67.0 12^ 103 / 28 57 • • • • • • Hk,Sa,Su M / 5 25 Logan, Utah 26T Custom Bandag Inc. 65.0 15^ N.A. 100 • • • • • • • • Da,Dc,Du,Gl, B / 3 31 Linden, N.J. Hk,Ks,Rm 8 26T Monro Inc. *65.0 9^ N.A. N.A. • • • Du,Ks,Un G + Acu / 2 45 Hickory, N.C. 28 Eastern Iowa Tire Inc. 63.7 17 80 / 34 54 • • • • • Da,Dc,Fk B / 5 26 Davenport, Iowa 29 McGriff Tire Co./McGriff Treading Co. Inc. *61.0 12^ N.A. N.A. • • • • • • • Da,Gt B /3 27 Cullman, Ala. 9 30 Rice Tire Co. 60.0 10^ 120 / 50 50 • • • • • Ae,Du,Fk,Ks G / 1 39 Frederick, Md. 31 Valley Tire Co. Inc. 59.4 17^ 57 / 18 75 • • • • • Fk,Gl,Rm M / 1 28 Charleroi, Pa. 10 32 Quality Tire Co. 58.0 8^ <--186--> 35 • • • • Am,Hk,Su,Tr M - 1 / O - 2 40 Salt Lake City 33 Beasley Tire Service Inc. 56.8 9^ 70 / 23 57 • • • Du,Fk,Ks,Rm M / 1 36 Houston 34 Callaghan Tire Co. 55.0 10 <-- 180 --> 60 • • • • • • • Fk B / 2 35 Bradenton, Fla. 35 Good Tire Service Inc. 54.6 8^ <-- 130 ---> 40+ • • • • • Da,Hk B / 1 29 Kittanning, Pa. 36 Royal Tire Inc. *54.5 15^ 50 / 25 65 • • • Da,Fk,To B / 3 32 St. Cloud, Minn. Visit us on the web at www.tirebusiness.com TIRE BUSINESS, April 15, 2019 • 15 North America’s largest commercial dealerships The 50 largest independents in the U.S. and Canada, based on 2018 sales Commercial Company Commercial Retread Rank Sales Owned Employees: Service System<>/ Rank 2019 Company/Headquarters ($ millions) Outlets Services/Sales Trucks No. of plants 2018 37 Graham Tire *53.0 21^ 33 /22 30 • Ae,Du,Hk, G / 2 30 Sioux Falls, S.D./Spencer, Iowa Ks,On 38 Pete’s Road Service *52.0 10 60 / 21 60 • • Ar,Bl,Hk, O / 1 34 Fullerton, Calif. To,Un 39 Commercial Tire Inc. *50.0 37^ 82 / 42 181 • • • • • • Al,Da,Gx, B / 3 33 Meridian, Idaho Rm,Tr 40 Gem City Tire *42.5 8 <--- 100 ---> 50 • Du,Ks G / 1 37 Dayton, Ohio 41 Piedmont Truck Tires Inc. 41.4 10^ 142 / 23 50 • • Sa,Sm,Su, C-LC / 1 38 Greensboro, N.C. Happy Roads 42 Bergey’s Tire *34.5 6^ N.A. 48 • • • • • To, Un C-LC, MG / 2 41 Franconia, Pa. Prima m/c 43 Pneus Belisle Inc. *33.0 10^ N.A. N.A. • • • Ae,Gx,Mm,Px M / 2 42 Boucherville, Quebec 44 Action Tire Co. 31.6 11 70 / 13 63 • • • • Dc,Rm,To O / 1 43 Forest Park, Ga. 45 BR Retreading Inc. *30.0 2 15 / 05 6 • • • • • Du,Ks 44 New Glasgow, Ky. 11 46 New Pride Corp. 24.0 4 12 / 4 N.A. O / 2 46 Oakland, Calif. 47 Tiremaster Ltd 27.0# 4 <--- 137 ---> 30 • • • Dc,Dr,Hk,Un M / 2 47 Brampton, Ontario 12 48 Border Recapping L.L.C. 21.6 10 49 / 26 45 • • Hk,Su M - 1 / O - 1 N.R. Las Cruces, N.M. 49 Roberts Tire Sales Inc. 18.6 3 25 / 05 15 • • • • He,Hk,Sa, PQ / 1 N.R. Mesa, Ariz. Su,To 50 New England Truck Tire Centers Inc. 17.7 9^ 26 / 9 20 • • • • M / 1 50 Sanford, Maine Tire Brands -- Ae=Aeolus; Al=Alliance; Am=AmeriSteel; Bl=Black Lion; Cn-Constellation; Da=Dayton; Dc=Double Coin; Ds=Doublestar; Dt=Duraturn; 4 — minority owned by Goodyear Canada; 54 Fountain stores are corporate partnerships, 12 are associate dealers. Du=Dunlop; Gl=Gladiator; Gt=GT Tire; Gx=Galaxy; He=Hercules; Hk=Hankook; Ll=Linglong; Ks=Kelly-Springfield; Ku=Kumho; Mc=Mastercraft; 5 — acquired the tire business — 7 sales/service outlets, 1 MRT plant, 1 wheel refinishing plant — of Allied Oil & Tire (No. 18 on this year’s list), Q2 2019. Og=O’Green; Oh=Ohtsu; On=Onyx; Rm=Roadmaster (Cooper); Sa=Sailun; Sm=Supermax; Su=Sumitomo, Ti=Titan; To=Toyo; Tr=Triangle 6 — acquired four GCR sales/service outlets and 2 Bandag plants, Q1 2019, from Bridgestone Americas. * = estimated: N.A. = not available; ^ = includes combination retail/commercial outlets 7 — sold its tire business — 7 sales/service outlets, 1 MRT plant, 1 wheel refinishing plant — to Bauer Built Inc. (No. 11 on this year’s list), Q2 2019. # = converted from Canadian $ at 1.33 per U.S. $ 8 — Monro’s commercial business comprises assets from the former McGee Commercial Tire and Clark Tire acquisitions. <> = Retread system IDs: Acu = AcuTread; B=Bandag; C-LC=ContiLifeCycle; G=Goodyear; Hw=Hawkinson; L=Long Mile; MG=Marangoni RTS; M=Michelin; 9 — acquired Central Tire Corp. of Verona, Va., Q1 2019. O=Oliver; PQ = Pre-Q; PC=precure; MC=mold cure 10 — acquired 3 TCi sales/service outlets and 1 MRT plant in Colorado, Q2 2018. 1 — Southern Tire Mart is buying 46 GCR sales/service locations and 6 retread plants, Q2 2019, from Bridgestone Americas. 11 — acquired mid-2018 by FlexiVan Leasing Inc. 2 — d.b.a.-- Best One Tire & Service; includes sales of S&S Tire, Southern Indiana Tire, Tommy House Tire, Huber Tire, Zurcher Tire, Southern Illinois Tire, etc. 12 — acquired 5 TCi sales/service centers and 1 MRT plant in California, Q4 2018. 3 — also has 57 ‘member dealers.’ 16 • April 15, 2019, TIRE BUSINESS Visit us on the web at www.tirebusiness.com Tire Business Special Feature CommercialTire&RetreadingReport Saluting a military vet Steel wheel makers, Wash. truck driver receives Goodyear Highway Hero Award importers debate LOUISVILLE, Ky. U.S. military veteran Paul Mathi- as was selected as this year’s recipi- market conditions ent of the Goodyear Highway Hero Award, which honors truck drivers By Miles Moore who risk injury to help others. [email protected] Mr. Mathias, a driver for Sys- WASHINGTON tem Transport of Cheney, Wash., U.S. manufacturers of steel wheels stepped in when he witnessed an for commercial vehicles and rep- accident in late 2017 at an inter- resentatives of Chinese producers section in Phoenix, where a vehi- hold vastly different views as to why cle running a red light slammed the domestic wheel industry appears into an SUV containing a mother to be struggling nancially. and her two children. Testifying before an International Mr. Mathias helped the mother Trade Commission (ITC) materi- perform CPR on her son and com- al injury hearing in Washington in forted her daughter, who died on mid-March, U.S. producers claimed the scene from her injuries. Mr. they are suffering “severe material Mathias administered CPR on injury” because of rising Chinese the boy until emergency crews ar- imports that are sold below mar- rived. The boy survived. ket rates, while supporters of the The award, which included a Chinese steel wheel industry said commemorative Goodyear High- the business practices of Accuride way Hero ring and cash prize, was Corp. and Maxion Wheels Akron presented March 28 during a cer- photo Goodyear L.L.C. were to blame for any sales ni cantly in 2018 because of the emony at the Crowne Plaza Lou- Goodyear Marketing Director Gary Medalis (left) presents Paul Mathias losses or nancial dif culties they new tariffs against imported steel, isville Airport Hotel in Louisville with the 2019 Highway Hero Award. might be suffering. according to Don Polk, president, during the 2019 Mid-American Mr. Atkins was driving on an way in Ohio when he witnessed a A previous investigation against the Americas for Maxion. Trucking Show. Arizona interstate when he wit- coal truck ip onto its side while Chinese steel wheels in 2012 re- “As our nancial information “We are proud to add Paul Mathi- nessed a vehicle containing an making a turn. sulted in a negative determination, makes clear, Maxion’s Akron fa- as to our list of Goodyear Highway elderly couple get struck from be- Mr. Frederick removed the and little has changed in the market cility has been unable to pass on Heroes,” Goodyear Marketing Di- hind, ip over and come to a stop damaged truck’s back window, since then, they said. the large increase in raw-material rector Gary Medalis said. on a grassy median. reached into the vehicle and ap- At issue are Chinese-sourced steel costs,” Mr. Polk said. “This inabil- “His leadership, courage and Mr. Atkins worked with a by- plied direct pressure to the wound- wheels, rims and discs with 22.5- to ity is due in signi cant part to the willingness to help a family in crisis stander to extract the driver, who ed driver, who was bleeding heav- 24.5-inch rim diameters, commonly depressed prices of Chinese product exemplify the spirit of this award.” was hanging upside down by her ily and trapped by the truck’s used on commercial trucks, trailers in the market.” The winner of the Goodyear seatbelt. steering wheel. and buses. Accuride and Maxion Opponents of duties, however, Highway Hero Award, established Even as gasoline began to leak, As the truck began to emit petitioned the ITC last year for an- said the steel wheel market is just as in 1983, was selected by an inde- Mr. Atkins continued to remove smoke, Mr. Frederick freed the tidumping and countervailing duties segmented in 2019 as it was in 2012, pendent panel consisting of truck- the husband and the couple’s three driver’s legs and worked with a against Chinese importers. when steel wheels of 18.5 to 24.5 ing industry journalists. dogs from the car and remained bystander to help the driver exit In August 2018, the Commerce inches in rim diameter were inves- Finalists for the award were with them until emergency crews the truck. Department levied preliminary anti- tigated. Darrell Atkins, a driver from Al- arrived. Mr. Frederick continued to ren- dumping duties against the Chinese Domestic wheel manufacturers varedo, Texas, and Don Frederick, The other nalist, Mr. Freder- der rst aid until emergency crews importers of up to 231.7 percent and dominate the original equipment a driver from Kimbolton, Ohio. ick, was driving on a state high- arrived. countervailing duties of 48.75 to market, whereas China sells main- 172.51 percent. ly into the replacement market, ac- At the hearing, Accuride and cording to Amanda Walker, chief Maxion said Chinese steel wheel operations of cer for Trans Texas imports increased 14.64 percent Tire (TTT). from 2015 to 2017, the period of the “We have always wanted to sup- ITC investigation. port American industry,” Ms. Walk- From January-May 2018, imports er said, adding that since 1999 do- rose 26.6 percent over the same pe- mestic steel wheel producers have When it comes to braking, every foot is worth a riod in 2017, according to the do- refused to sell wheels to TTT. MAX mile. In a recent 60–0 mph wet braking test, the mestic companies. But in May-Sep- Accuride offered to sell wheels Maxtour LX stopped shorter than the competition. tember 2018, after Commerce levied to TTT just before the 2012 ITC Introducing the GT Radial the preliminary duties, imports fell hearing, according to Ms. Walker, Maxtour LX. 47.1 percent, they said. “but those terms of sale were not Accuride Wheels North Ameri- suitable to us, and we declined the STOP ca President Gregory Risch said at offer. They didn’t want to sell us 8 the hearing that Accuride had been lightweight wheels, only the heavier 132. FT forced to reduce capital expendi- ones.” U.S. wheel producers also are MAXTOUR LX tures by roughly half of what they normally would be and research unwilling to provide smaller lots of and development spending by about specialized wheels, such as wheels All-Season Performance two-thirds, because of unfair Chi- in special colors, Ms. Walker said. Premium Ride Comfort nese competition. “My experience is that Chinese LEADING “Our Henderson (Ky.) facility is suppliers will add value for our cus- COMPETITOR C 42 Sizes on Popular Fitments extraordinarily ef cient and was tomers,” she said. recognized as a leading manufactur- “To be sure, both Accuride and 7 70,000 Mile Tread Warranty ing facility in 2014 by the Associa- Maxion are both present in the after- 140. FT market, and make sales to aftermar- 24/7 Roadside Assistance tion for Manufacturing Excellence,” Mr. Risch said. ket customers,” Ms. Walker said. LEADING “Unfortunately, many projects at “But in our view, their own business COMPETITOR B All trademarks, service marks and product the plant that have been proposed practices and commercial strategy names are the property of their respective owners. Test conducted in Q1 of 2019. Tires LEADING have been rejected because of market has almost certainly prevented them 5 tested were size 215/55R17. Individual results COMPETITOR A 143. FT may vary depending on vehicle type, tire conditions,” he said. “Without relief, from making even greater inroads maintenance, driving style, and road conditions. there is little doubt that the next move into this market segment.” 3 by Accuride would be to close Hen- Post hearing briefs in the investi- 144. FT Visit MaxtourLX.com and experience the performance. derson and relocate to China.” gation were due March 26 and nal Steel prices have increased sig- comments April 19. Visit us on the web at www.tirebusiness.com TIRE BUSINESS, April 15, 2019 • 17 Tire Business Special Feature CommercialTire&RetreadingReport Bandag courts smaller eets with retread campaign Bandag photos Bandag Bandag has launched an industrywide retreading education campaign called 'Fleets We Depend On.' Bandag displayed its retreaded tires at the Technology & Maintenance Council’s annual convention and trade show in Atlanta. By Bruce Davis [email protected]

ATLANTA Recognizing that small- to medium-sized eets traditionally aren’t big users of retreads, Bridgestone Ameri- cas Inc. and its Bandag business unit are launching an industrywide retreading education campaign called “Fleets We Depend On.” “Bridgestone is committed to making mobility more efcient,” Eric Higgs, president, truck, bus and retread tires, U.S. and Canada, said at the campaign’s launch at the Technol- ogy & Maintenance Council’s annual convention and trade show, which was held in early March in Atlanta. “While most large eets already use retreads, we recognized a real opportunity to better inform small- and mid-sized eets on the benets that choosing Bandag can bring to their businesses. We are on a mission to showcase how retreads add value to a comprehensive tire management program.” The Fleets We Depend On campaign spotlights eets that serve the public — from re departments to rst responders to school districts — and their daily reliance on retreads to get the job done, Bridgestone said. The campaign stresses that retreads are a reliable solution for everyday heroes and eets in any eld, Bridgestone said, noting that Bandag recognizes that retreads play a critical role in everyday operations of these eets and is dedicated to engineering a product that delivers safe and reliable performance to keep communities moving. Bridgestone will take the campaign on the road, presenting the campaign’s message at 27 industry, dealer and Bridgestone location stops across North America running through July. The campaign roadshow will provide an inside look at the retreading process and allow participants to hear from experts on optimal Bridgestone tire casing and Bandag retread com- binations that are designed to work together to maximize performance. Cities on the tour include Akron; At- lanta; Elizabeth, N.J.; Nashville; Orlan- do, Fla.; and Phoenix, among others. In addition, the campaign will award one deserving eet $5,000 in Septem- ber as part of the “Fleets We Depend On Award.” Presented by Bandag, the contest will spotlight the reliable individuals and eets that keep the country moving and make an impact in their local communities. Fleets and individuals can be nom- inated through the Bandag website or at the roadshow stops, according to Bridgestone. 18 • April 15, 2019, TIRE BUSINESS Visit us on the web at www.tirebusiness.com

1 1 Goodyear Commercial Tire Systems L.L.C. *30.00 14.0% *5,000 29 N.A. 0p4 GY p.c. & m.c. 1T Fort Smith, Ark. GY Unicircle (25 plants) 2 Southern Tire Mart L.L.C. 28.50 1.8% 5,051 18 5 1 to 2 Bandag 1T Columbia, Miss. 2 3 Snider Fleet Solutions *26.00 N.C. 3,500 11 5 to 6 2 to 3 MRT (10), Oliver (1) 3 Greensboro, N.C. 3 4 GCR Tires & Service *18.00 -10.0% *2,750 26 N.A. N.A. Bandag 4 Nashville, Tenn. 5 Pomp’s Tire & Auto Service Inc. *17.25 4.5% *2,850 16 5 1 to 2 Bandag 5 Green Bay, Wis. 4 6 Best One Tire & Service 16.50 5.7% 2,225 17 5 1 to 2 Bandag 6 Indianapolis 7 McCarthy Tire Service Co. Inc. 12.00 N.C. 1,675 7 5 1 1/2 Bandag 7 Wilkes-Barre, Pa. 8 Les Schwab Tire Centers *11.10 N.A. *1,550 3 N.A. N.A. Oliver; M-RTS; Galgo 8 Bend, Ore. 9 T&W Tire 10.00 N.A. 900 4 5 2 MRT 10 Oklahoma City 5 10 Kal Tire 9.78 N.A. N.A. 10 N.A. N.A. Bandag 9 Vernon, British Columbia 11 Service Tire Truck Centers Inc. 8.00 3.9% 1,150 4 5 2 1/2 MRT (3) / Oliver (1) 11 Bethlehem, Pa. 6 12 Bauer Built Inc. 7.50 7.1% 1,052 7# 5 1/2 1 to 2 MRT 12 Durand, Wis. 7 13 Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores Inc. *7.00 N.A. *1,000 4 N.A. N.A. Oliver 13 Oklahoma City 14 Purcell Tire & Rubber Co. 6.40 N.C. 890 4 6 2 GY m.c. & p.c. 14 Potosi, Mo. 8 15T Bob Sumerel Tire Co. Inc. 6.30 23.5% 992 7 5 1 1/2 Bandag 15T Erlanger, Ky. 15T Boulevard Tire Center 6.30 N.C. 1,031 5 5 1 Bandag 15T Deland, Fla. 9 17 Parkhouse Tire Inc. 5.50 -8.3% 850 4 5 1 1/2 Bandag 17 Bell Gardens, Calif. 18 Tredroc Tire Services 5.00 -10.0% 685 5 5 1 Bandag 19 Antioch, Ill. 19 Jack’s Tire & Oil Inc. 4.80 -2.0% 660 5 5 1 MRT 20 Logan, Utah 20 Atlanta Commercial Tire 4.50 -2.2% 850 3 5 1 Bandag 21 Forest Park, Ga. 10 21 BestDrive L.L.C. 4.35 24.1% 600 7 5 1 C-LC 24 Fort Mill, S.C. 22 Ziegler Tire & Supply Co. 3.95 -1.3% 420 2 5 1 1/2 MRT 22 Massillon, Ohio 23 Custom Bandag Inc. *3.80 N.A. *600 3 5 1 Bandag 23 Linden, N.J. 24T Rechapage Belisle Inc. *3.50 N.A. *600 2 5 1 MRT 25T St. Jerome, Quebec 24T Sullivan Tire Co. *3.50 N.A. 475 3 5 1 Bandag 25T Norwell, Mass. 26 Redburn Tire Co. 3.20 N.C. 370 5 5 1 Bandag 27 Phoenix, Ariz. 27 Fountain Tire Ltd. 3.02 33.0% 600 6 5 1 to 2 GY 38 Edmonton, Alberta 28 Royal Tire Inc. *3.00 N.A. 450 3 5 1 1/2 Bandag 28T St. Cloud, Minn. 29T Valley Tire Co. Inc. 3.00 N.C. 440 1 4 2 MRT 28T Belle Vernon, Pa. 29T McGriff Treading Co. Inc. *3.00 N.A. *575 2 5 1 to 2 Bandag 28T Cullman, Ala. 31 Treads West Inc. 2.70 N.C. 330 2 5 2 MRT, Oliver 31 Edmonton, Alberta 11 32T Border Recapping L.L.C. 2.50 N.A. 360 2 5 2 MRT, Oliver N.R. Las Cruces, N.M. 32T New Holland Tire Inc. *2.50 N.A. 350 2 5 2 Bandamatic 32T Terre Hill, Pa. 32T Graham Tire Co. *2.50 N.A. 400 2 5 1 GY (p.c. & m.c.) 32T Spencer, Iowa/Sioux Falls, S.D. 35T Bergey’s Tire & Auto Centers *2.40 N.A. *355 2# 5 1 1/2 C-LC; M-RTS 34T Franconia, Pa. 35T Cross-Dillon Tire Co. *2.40 N.A. *360 2 N.A. N.A. Bandag 34T Lincoln, Neb. Visit us on the web at www.tirebusiness.com TIRE BUSINESS, April 15, 2019 • 19

North America’s largest retreaders (Based on tread rubber used during last full year — 2018) Medium & Heavy Truck Tires Rank pounds/year % change 2018 2019 Company/ headquarters (in millions) vs. ’17 units/days/ Plants# Days/week Shifts Curing Process(es)# Rank 37T Eastern Iowa Tire Inc. 2.30 N.C. 320 5 5 1 Bandag 37 Davenport, Iowa 37T Pete’s Tire Barns Inc. 2.30 15.0% 350 2 5 1 Bandag 42T Orange, Mass. 12 37T Sumerel Tire Service Inc. 2.30 4.5% 255 3 5 1 1/2 A-T (1), PQ (1), M-RTS (1) 39T Newport, Ky. 40T Gem City Tire *2.20 N.A. 325 1 5 1 GY (p.c. & m.c.) 39T Dayton, Ohio 40T Tiremaster Ltd. *2.20 N.A. 350 2 5 1 MRT 39T Brampton, Ontario 42 Callaghan Tire *2.05 4.5% 300 2 5 1 Bandag 45 Bradenton, Fla. 13 43T TRAC Tire Services Inc. *2.00 N.A. 300 1 5 1 GY; Oliver N.R. Florence, Ky. 43T Commercial Tire Inc. *2.00 N.A. 285 3 5 1 Bandag 42T Meridien, Idaho 14 45T Quality Tire Co. 1.90 N.A. 275 2 5 1 MRT (1), Oliver (2) 49 Salt Lake City 45T Raben Tire Co. Inc. *1.90 N.A. 380 3 5 1 GY (2), Oliver (1) 46 Evansville, Ind. 47 White’s Tire Service of Wilson Inc. 1.80 N.A. 190 1# 5 1 1/2 M-RTS; C-LC; Vp 42T Wilson, N.C. 48 New Pride Corp. 1.60 -33.3% 300 2 5 2 Oliver 34T Rancho Dominguez, Calif. 49 J.A.R. Rubber / Ranger Tires *1.50 N.A. 180 2 5 1/2 1 1/2 M-RTS 50 Bay Shore, N.Y. 50 Beasley Tire Service 1.39 N.C. 200 1 5 1 MRT N.R. Houston * = estimated; N.A. = not available; N.R. = Not Ranked in 2018 6 — Bauer Built acquired 1 MRT plant from Allied Oil & Tire, Q2 2019. # = Some plants may produce other types of retreads 7 — Estimated production. Love’s opened its first retread plant in mid-2016 and three others later. Estimate based on rated plant capacities at a reduced rate of production. # — A-T=Acutread; C-LC = ContiLifeCycle; Ga=Galgo; GY=Goodyear; MRT=Michelin Retread Technologies; M-RTS=Marangoni RingTread System; PQ=Pre-Q 8 — Separate company from Bob Sumerel Tire & Auto Service; not affiliated with Sumerel Tire Service Inc. of Newport, Ky. (No. 39 on this year’s list). 1 — Goodyear subsidiary; Goodyear Canada also operates one OTR retread plant in North Bay, Ontario. 9 — Parkhouse Tire acquired 2 Bandag plants from Bridgestone Americas/GCR Tires, Q1 2019. 2 — Southern Tire Mart acquiring 6 plants from Bridgestone Americas/GCR Tires, Q2 2019. 10 — Continental Tire the Americas subsidiary. 3 — Data cover GCR Truck Tire Centers in the U.S. and Canada; company selling 6 plants to Southern, Tire Mart, Q2 2019; sold 2 plants to Parkhouse Tire, Q2; 11 — Border Recapping acquired 1 MRT plant in California, Q4 2018, from Michelin/TCi. closed or sold 3 plants in Quebec, Q1 2018. 12 — Sumerel Tire separate from and not affiliated with Bob Sumerel Tire (No. 14 on this year’s list). 4 — Includes sales/production of Southern Indiana Tire, Tommy House Tire, Huber Tire, Zurcher Tire, Southern Illinois Tire, etc.; 13 — Formerly Retread America, the retread operations of Core Fleet Inc.; acquired Q3 2018 by TRAC Intermodal. 5 — Also operates OTR retread plants in Kamloops, British Columbia, and Oshawa, Ontario (Polar Rubber Products). 14 — Quality Tire acquired 1 MRT plant in Colorado, Q2 2018, from Michelin/TCi. Off-the-road tires Rank pounds/year % change 2018 2019 Company/ headquarters (in millions) vs. ’17 units/days/ Plants# Days/week Shifts Curing Process(es)# Rank 1 1 Purcell Tire & Rubber Co. 7.40 5.7% 125 1# 6 2 m.c., flexcure, & sculpture 2 Potosi, Mo. 2 RDH Tire Co. 5.00 N.C. 50 1 5 3 Marangoni m.c. 3 Cleveland, N.C. cut tread 3 H&H Industries Inc. 4.70 -4.1% 48 1 5 1/2 3 m.c., p.c., & cut-tread 5 Oak Hill, Ohio 4 B.R. Retreading Inc. *4.00 N.A. 55 1 5 2 Marangoni, m.c., cut tread 4 Glasgow, Ky. 2,3 5 Kal Tire 2.92 8.1% N.A. 2 5 1 1/2 Marangoni m.c., Bandag 6 Vernon, British Columbia 6 Goodyear Canada Inc. *2.50 N.A. *45 1 N.A. N.A. GY m.c. 7 Toronto, Ontario 7 Community Tire Co. Inc. *2.00 N.A. 35 1 5 3 m.c., bead-bead, & 8 St. Louis, Mo. full-circle 8 Craft Tire Inc. *1.70 N.A. 24 2 6 3 Marangoni, computer tread 9 Uniontown, Pa. 9 Lan OTR Inc. 1.00 N.A. 15 1 5 -- Precure N.R. Lanoraie, Quebec 10 Les Schwab Tire Centers Inc. *0.60 N.A. *10 1# 5 3 m.c., sculpture 11 Prineville, Ore. 11 Royal Tire Inc. *0.50 N.A. 3 1 5 1 1/2 Bandag 12 St. Cloud, Minn. 12 White’s Tire Service of Wilson 0.10 N.A. 4 1 5 1/2 1 1/2 Marangoni m.c. N.R. Wilson, N.C. * = estimated 2 — Combined data for Kal Tire and Polar Rubber Products; Kal acquired full ownership of Ontario-based Polar Rubber in 2011. N.A. = not available; N.C. = no change; N.R. = not ranked in 2018 3 — Canadian production only; Kal Tire also retreads in plants in Australia, South America. 1 — Purcell acquired retread assets of Northwest Retreaders Inc., Q2 2018. Passenger & light truck tires Rank pounds/year % change units/days/ 2018 2019 Company/ headquarters (in millions) vs. ’17 Passenger/Light Truck Plants# Days/week Shifts Curing Process(es)# Rank 1 Tread Wright Inc. *1.75 N.A. 000 / 500 1 5 N.A. m.c.(CIMA) 3 Houston 2 Eastern Tire Service Ltd. *1.50 N.C. 600 / 100 1 5 2 Italmatic B to B 1T New Glasgow, Nova Scotia 2 Techno Pneu Inc./Moldex *1.50 N.C. 225 / 225 1 5 3 CIMA m.c. 1T Rimouski, Quebec 4 Purcell Tire & Rubber Co. 0.50 N.C. 000 / 125 5# 6 2 p.c. + m.c. N.A. Potosi, Mo. 5 Tire Recappers of Nashville *0.40 N.A. 140 / 000 1 N.A. N.A. m.c. N.A. Nashville, Tenn. 20 • April 15, 2019, TIRE BUSINESS Visit us on the web at www.tirebusiness.com Tire Business Special Feature CommercialTire&RetreadingReport SR development could yield improved truck tires European Rubber Journal native rubber sources has been in- researchers at Fraunhofer IAP syn- to optimize the BISYKA rubber POTSDAM, Germany creasing as the supply security of thesized the BISYKA rubber out of further, concentrating on the com- Researchers from the Fraunhofer In- NR is doubtful, due to fungi that functionalized polyisoprene with position and proportion of the or- stitutes for Applied Polymer Research have decimated the Brazilian rubber high microstructural purity and the ganic components, according to Ul- in Germany have developed a polyiso- industry and could, at some point, respective biomolecules,” Fraun- rich Wendler, leader of the project at prene synthetic rubber they claim can appear in Southeast Asia, where the hofer said. the Fraunhofer Pilot Plant Center for exceed the treadwear performance of vast majority of the world’s NR is Fraunhofer scientists investigated Polymer Synthesis and Processing natural rubber in truck tires. cultivated. the characteristics of BISYKA and PAZ in Schkopau, Germany. The discovery, dubbed “BISY- Researchers at Fraunhofer Insti- used new kinds of silica to optimize “The synthetic rubber can be pro- KA” achieves 30- to 50-percent less tutes began development of BISY- performance, the institute said. duced on an industrial scale, using abrasion than natural rubber, Fraun- KA — named for the German ab- In those tests, tires with BISKYA existing plants and equipment,” Mr. hofer Institutes said, making it ideal breviation for biometric synthetic treads were compared with tires Wendler said. “This means that the for use in truck tire treads, for which rubber — a few years ago by study- German researchers have developed a with conventional natural rubber synthetic rubber offers an excellent SR up to now has been unsuitable. ing dandelion rubber, polyisoprene synthetic rubber that they treads. Whereas the NR tires at the alternative to natural rubber — in- “The treads of (truck) tires are “Like the rubber from rubber claim exceeds treadwear performance end of testing had lost 850 grams cluding the domain of high-perfor- manufactured primarily from natu- trees, 95 percent of dandelion rubber of truck tires made by natural rubber. of weight and 0.94 millimeters of mance truck tires.” ral rubber ... and to date has demon- consists of polyisoprene,” the insti- was ideal for research, it said. tread, the BISYKA tires lost only The researchers presented their strated the best abrasion characteris- tute said. Because dandelions gener- “After they had identi ed the 600 grams of weight and 0.47 mil- ndings April 4 at the annual con- tics,” the research institute said. ate a yield in three months compared organic components that were im- limeters of tread, it said. ference of the German Rubber So- However, the need to nd alter- with seven years for Hevea trees, it portant to abrasion behavior, the As the next step, Fraunhofer plans ciety, East. Improved rolling resistance Goodyear to upgrade Evonik develops silica/silane technology that could improve TBR tires Luxembourg plant HANOVER, Germany even on wet road surfaces, Evonik stated. Rubber reinforcements producer Evonik Industries “Feedback from the market tells us that demand for MUNICH, Germany A.G. has developed a silica/silane technology for use in green tires continues to be very high, thanks to their ad- Goodyear has disclosed plans natural rubber compounds it claims could help reduce vantages,” Bernhard Schäfer, head of rubber silica, said. to invest $36 million in its factory rolling resistance in medium truck and bus “Their use in buses and trucks particularly is in Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg, to tires. still quite new and is attracting great interest.” increase production of OTR tires Evonik claims testing shows using its silica/ In addition, Evonik noted it is “fully on track” to and make process improvements. silane technology could yield fuel savings of expand tire silica capacity at a plant in Adapazari, Goodyear announced the in- as much as 8 percent versus traditional car- Turkey, including adding capacity for the Ultrasil vestment during the Bauma con- bon-black reinforced NR compounds while 9100 GR precipitated silica reinforcing ller and struction industry trade fair in also reducing braking distances, lead- Ultrasil 5000 GR, for optimizing wet and Munich, where it was an exhibitor. ing to greater driving safety on wet or winter properties of tires. “The demand for premium OTR snow-covered roads. Launched in response to “growing de- tires continues to grow worldwide Silica’s effect on rolling resistance mand for innovative silica,” the expansion thanks to the expansion of mining in passenger tires is well documented, project will primarily serve customers in and construction operations, as Evonik noted, when used in compound- southeastern Europe and the Middle East. well as developments in the port ing with synthetic rubber. It’s claiming the use of its Designed to increase capacity by 40,000 metric tons and industrial segments,” David Ultrasil 91000 GR precipitated silica reinforcing ller per year, the project is expected to be completed in late Anckaert, vice president of Good- The company is building a sec- is “particularly suitable” for use in truck and bus tires. 2019. year’s commercial tire business in ond plant in Luxembourg, close to “So silica/silane technology, especially when used Europe, said. the existing Colmar-Berg factory, in green tires for buses and trucks with high fuel con- “This important investment in for the production of premium sumption levels, is making an important contribution our operations will allow us to re- passenger tires. to climate protection,” Jens Kiesewetter, Evonik’s head spond to the growing demand and The new plant, which is due of technical service for rubber silica, said, “and that in to better serve the daily operations on stream this year, will use “ad- anticipation of the recently concluded EU agreement on of our customers in the eld with a ditive manufacturing technolo- targets for CO2 reduction for trucks.” complete portfolio of high-quality gies” to produce premium tires Evonik noted that despite its high speci c-surface products and total mobility solu- in small-batch quantities on-de- area, Ultrasil 9100 GR is incorporated into and dis- tions both for trucks and off-the- mand, Goodyear said in 2017 at persed in the natural rubber compound relatively easily. road machines.” ground-breaking ceremonies for The resulting compound offers improved abrasion resis- Goodyear did not quantify the the factory. tance, which in turn yields better mileage performance. impact on the plant’s capacity The company is investing $77 This is particularly critical, Evonik said, because of the or workforce. The plant, which million in the facility, which will long distances truck/bus tires cover and the variations in opened in 1951, makes medium produce approximately 500,000 infrastructure they encounter, which subject these tires to truck tires in addition to OTR tires annually and create approxi- particularly heavy loads. Silica-reinforced compounds also tires. mately 70 full-time positions. improve driving safety through shorter braking distances, Evonik claims NR compound could improve fuel economy. Pyrolyx secures funding to expand U.S. plant, buy tire recycler MUNICH, Germany rated shredding capacity of 350,000 pas- secure outlets for the Pyrolyx process’s by- Recovered carbon black supplier Pyrolyx senger tires a month and is part of J&R’s products, such as wire, oil, etc. A.G. has made a series of moves to shore worn-tire collection business that operates Pyrolyx did not identify the source of up its still nascent U.S. operations ahead of throughout Indiana and Illinois and into the new funding, but said it intends to use moving its headquarters to facilities under neighboring states as well, according to it to “facilitate the acceleration” of the con- construction in Terre Haute, Ind. Rodney Rogers, former owner. struction of the second plant on the same In the U.S., Pyrolyx said it has secured Pyrolyx said purchasing J&R helps it se- property. Engineering design and environ- additional debt funding of $4.5 million cure the supply of waste tires for its Terre mental permitting for the second plant al- and agreed to buy the assets of tire recy- Haute plants and provides it with an op- ready has stared, Pyrolyx said. cling business J&R Used Tire Service Inc., portunity to approach waste tire genera- In Germany, Pyrolyx has closed its Mu- which is setting up a tire-shredding facility tors, such as the major retail chains or tire nich headquarters and transferred many of in Newport, Ind., primarily to supply feed- manufacturers, with a “cradle-to-grave” the global administrative functions U.S.- stock to Pyrolyx. The purchase agreement concept. based personnel. The company remains in is valued at $4.5 million. Mr. Rogers said he will continue to work discussions with its workers at its research J&R invested $2.15 million to develop with Pyrolyx, evaluating potential addi- and design facility in Stegelitz, Germany, the new plant in Newport, which has a tional sites for operations and helping to about their future. Visit us on the web at www.tirebusiness.com TIRE BUSINESS, April 15, 2019 • 21 Tire Business Special Feature CommercialTire&RetreadingReport Economy, aging eets spur Prometeon adds boom in trucking industry Tier 3 TBR brand By Kathy McCarron freight conditions have been the pri- over the 3.8-percent increase in 2017. [email protected] mary support of Class 8 registrations in “The good news is that 2018 was By Bruce Davis LAS VEGAS 2018. Order intake is strong, although a banner year for truck tonnage, wit- [email protected] A strong economy and cyclical supply constraints have inhibited the nessing the largest annual increase MILAN, Italy truck replacements will spur signi - actual nal delivery of the vehicles.” we’ve seen in two decades,” ATA Prometeon Tyre Group S.r.l., the cant organic growth in demand in the With OEM back orders, she ex- Chief Economist Bob Costello said. former Pirelli industrial tire business, trucking industry through 2019, ac- pected the replacement cycle to ex- “With that said, there is evidence has launched a Tier 3 associate truck/ cording to IHS Markit research. tend into late 2019 and 2020. that the industry and economy is bus tire brand as part of the compa- Overall, the trucking market in the “We believe the completion of this moderating as tonnage fell a com- ny’s move to a multi-brand approach. U.S. is undergoing changes with new buying cycle will be completed by bined total of 5.6 percent in October Developed with a special focus regulations and vehicle technologies, 2020.” and November after hitting an all- on safety, the “Anteo” brand will according to Dawn Brusseau, IHS As of 2017, 953,000 tractors on the time high in October.” complement Pirelli as Prometeon’s associate director road were ve years old or younger, premium brand, the company said, for commercial while 457,000 were between six and Challenges for eets while an as-yet-unnamed Tier 2 vehicle solutions, 10 years old. The latter number has It’s a great time to be in truck- brand is being developed as well for who addressed at- been shrinking in recent years. ing, according to Ms. Brusseau, but launch later in 2019. tendees at an Auto- “This demonstrates that the eet there are challenges, including: Alexandre Bregantim, chief technol- Prometeon’s new TBR brand will motive Aftermar- is getting younger, but at a relative- • Regulatory pressure — There has ogy of cer, said at a recent launch event complement Pirelli’s premium brand. ket Products Expo ly modest pace. Typically, line-haul been an increase in regulatory oversight in Milan that the Anteo brand products The brand launches with six indi- event in Las Vegas trucks average 80,000 to 100,000 with the electronic logging-device man- were developed “under real-life condi- vidual tments — Pro-S, -D and -T last November. miles a year and are replaced within date recording drivers’ hours of service tions” at Prometeon’s plants in Turkey for steer-, drive- and trailer-axle appli- “We’ve never ve years,” Ms. Brusseau said. and emission requirements to reduce and Brazil. cations; and Mover-M, -S and -D for Brusseau seen such an inux Fleets with one to 500 vehicles ac- CO2 levels and fuel consumption up to Prometeon claims the new brand on-/off-road applications. The Pro-S of emerging technologies, powertrain counted for 63 percent of new Class 27 percent for commercial tractors; features “performance excellence” and -D lines are designed for use on innovations, as well as legislation 4-8 vehicle registrations and 84 per- • Energy rivalry — In an effort to particularly in terms of wet grip buses and travel coaches as well. changes and just a whole mix of new cent of vehicles in operation (VIO) in meet fuel economy demands, interest and can be customized according to Prometeon is backing the Anteo tires,” she said. 2017, compared with eets with more in alternative fuels, especially bio- the speci c needs of different geo- brand with a “7/7/3 warranty pol- “Your future is secure. Trucking is than 500 vehicles. diesel, is expected to increase in the graphical areas. icy” on the casing — i.e., 700,000 only gaining in popularity. … The need Because a large portion of the U.S. next decade although currently diesel The Milan-based company said it miles, seven years, three retreads. for trucking is strong and will continue trucking industry involves very small dominates with two-thirds of com- plans to market the new brand pri- Starting with the launch of An- to be strong within the market.” eets, “this means any dramatic change mercial vehicles; marily in Europe this year and next, teo, Prometeon also said it is taking IHS research of U.S. vehicle reg- in technology is a huge risk to small • New technologies/logistical op- with a North American debut not a “platform approach” toward tire istrations noted a major increase in eet owners,” Ms. Brusseau said. portunities are being considered to planned until year-end 2020, when sales and services. This will include registrations of Class 8 tractors in the “It’s important to remember that speed up delivery of packages; and it will become Prometeon’s “value supplying “the necessary systems rst half of 2018, a trend that is ex- the risk appetite of the smaller eets • Driver challenges — To address proposition” offering for small and and technological solutions” along- pected to continue this year. when modeling a dramatic technolo- driver shortages, eets are offering medium eets searching for a good side its tires, through an extended “Class 8 tractor growth is basical- gy changeover, it is likely only large more home time, larger bonuses and “value-for-money” product. Prometeon dealer network. ly on re,” Ms. Brusseau said, noting eets will have the capacity to adopt better wages. North American customers should The tire maker said it will present IHS expects Class 8 registrations to these technologies, at least initially.” “Large eets are competing in expect the launch of a Tier 2 brand more details of its new platform-ap- increase about 8 percent to 340,000 Meanwhile, growth in Class 1-3 the heated marketplace of supply this year in addition to the Formula proach in the coming months. Pro- units in 2019, versus 2018. van/pickup trucks over the past year and demand. With a limited supply brand, which Prometeon said “will meteon has set up a dedicated web “Basically this is due to economic is tied to growth in the construction of drivers and increased demand for remain part of our brand portfolio site, anteotyres.com, for the brand. improvement and export levels are up. and ecommerce market, Ms. Brus- shipping, eets are investing in their as it has found a very important role Pirelli & C. S.p.A. established An increase in exports is indicative to seau said, noting the increasing pop- eets to achieve maximum fuel ef - within our channel management Prometeon Tyre in 2017 as part of its more Class 8s since it’s linked to line- ularity of SUVs and pickup trucks at ciency and attract new drivers,” Ms. strategy.” move to revamp Pirelli into a “pure haul traf c.” the expense of passenger vans. Brusseau said. “Anteo is the rst (of the com- consumer” tire company following She also said eets are in the pro- The American Trucking Associ- Commercial trucks have never pany’s own-brands), con rming China National Chemical Corp.’s cess of replacing aging trucks, noting ations (ATA) reported that the ad- been more comfortable and ef cient our focus on … the truck and bus acquisition of Pirelli in 2015. that 2015 was the last time there was vanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire than they are today, she said, as sector,” Prometeon Chairman and It’s represented in North America a jump in Class 8 volumes. Truck Tonnage Index increased 6.6 OEMs try to make trucks safer and CEO Giorgio Bruno said during the by Prometeon Tyre Group Commer- “2019 will be a peak year in the cur- percent in 2018, the largest annual more comfortable in order to attract Milan launch. cial Solutions L.L.C. in San Diego. rent buying cycle,” she said. “Robust gain since 1998 and an improvement applicants for driving jobs.

DON’T BE FOOLED BY IMITATOR TIRE CHANGING TOOLS Pilot Flying J launches Golden Tools virtual maintenance unit are Made in the USA! ATLANTA updates for en-route, on-site and roll times. Pilot Travel Centers L.L.C. has launched a virtual • Live chat — users can live chat with Truck Care rep- Tools of choice by professional tire changers. maintenance system through its Pilot Flying J travel resentatives for customer service needs. centers for truck owners and eets as part of its “Truck • Service records — eets will bene t from reduced No damaged beads - No RAR’s. Care” service platform. paperwork and improved accuracy of records with full Why take a chance on an imported tool? The system, dubbed “Fleet Center,” provides eets access to service history and transaction details. real-time visibility and exibility to manage their equip- “By providing a centralized portal, Fleet Center will Ask for the original TNT Golden Tools! ment 24/7 — thus reducing downtime, increasing speed make it easier and faster for eets to manage the service of service and improving account management for eets of their trucks,” said Dave Latimer, vice president of shop OUR QUALITY AND and professional drivers. strategies and operations for Pilot Flying J Truck Care. TNT100-1 The system also allows Truck Care technicians to fo- “Our goal is to remove the stress and complexity of man- 1st Generation DURABILITY EXCEED THE cus on providing service to get drivers back on the road. aging eet service and get drivers back on the road as quick- Pilot Travel Centers launched the Truck Care program ly as possible by providing our customers a window into INDUSTRY STANDARD TNT200-1 in 2017. It’s available in 36 states via 24 service centers their Truck Care account at the touch of a button.” 2nd Generation operating more than 135 roadside assistance vehicles to The company is planning to add Truck Care to 10 provide drivers with maintenance needs on and off the more service centers throughout 2019. interstate. Pilot Flying J centers with Truck Care service on TNT300-1 The virtual maintenance system will provide eets site are located in Arkansas, Arizona, California (two), 3rd Generation with access to time-saving features, the company said, Georgia, Illinois (two), Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, such as: Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, TNT200M • Service management — scheduling services, gener- South Carolina (two), South Dakota, Tennessee (two), Mount Tool ating and authorizing work orders and receiving detailed Texas (three), Virginia and Wyoming. cost-of-repair estimates online. Pilot Flying J stocks Bridgestone-, Continental-, Giti-, • Real-time noti cations — receive immediate status Michelin- and Yokohama-brand tires. Call now: 800-868-0221 22 • April 15, 2019, TIRE BUSINESS Visit us on the web at www.tirebusiness.com Tire Business Special Feature CommercialTire&RetreadingReport Tire makers launch products at TMC, MATS AKRON prove a eet’s bottom line.” indicators also can show a tire tech- rent line of 35 SUV/CUV and light Other products being launched Tire makers large and small, domes- Mr. Schroeder said Cooper will of- nician when there’s an alignment truck sizes with three C-type sizes, with the technology are the e3 MAX tic and foreign, leveraged their presenc- fer the tire at a “best buy” price point, problem or uneven tire issue. including the popular 235/65R16C, DL21 and e3 WiDE TL21 wide- es at the recent Technology & Main- but he did not disclose actual pricing Cooper is producing the tire at its and 10 heavy-duty LT sizes, for a base long-haul drive-axle and trailer tenance Council and Mid-American information. Cooper is backing the Cooper Qingdao Tire Co. venture total of 48 sizes. The size expansion tires, respectively. Trucking Show expositions to launch LHS with a seven-year, two-retread in Qingdao, China, according to the will help dealers address a segment “These three new tires represent new products and/or expand existing warranty that also includes full re- tire’s DOT code. that has grown by more than 600,000 the latest from our innovation team product lines. placement value for the rst 50 per- On its coopertrucktires.com site, full-size cargo vans over the past two bringing not only a more dynamic Among them are new products from: cent of treadwear. Cooper indicated that it plans to add years, Goodyear said. TBR portfolio, but products that will The new tire features Cooper’s an LHT trailer-axle version later this Some vehicle tments for the go the distance for those who depend Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. add- ECO (Energy Conservation Optimi- year as well. Wrangler Fortitude HT are the Ford on them every day,” Rob Williams, ed a steer-axle tire to the Cooper zation) technology that combines tire Transit, Ram ProMaster, Chevrolet senior director of TBR sales, said. PRO Series long-haul truck tire line design, compounding and construc- Goodyear expanded the portfo- Express, Mercedes Sprinter, Nissan The e3 MAX DL21 offers “superi- it launched in April 2018. tion for a tire that exceeds SmartWay lio of the Wrangler Fortitude HT, a NV3500, Ford F150/F250/F350 and or” fuel efciency, Hankook claims, The LHS-designated steer tire rolling-resistance standard require- long-lasting “rugged” light truck tire Chevrolet Silverado 1500/2500/3500. thanks to the use of “advanced” rubber complements the LHD long-haul ments by 15 percent and meets the with sizes designed for the growing The Akron-based tire maker also technology and a closed shoulder tread drive tire in the PRO Series. The Environmental Protection Agency’s cargo van segment. reported that the Endurance LHS design. A “Heel and Toe Stopper” tire will be available initially in size greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions re- Initially launched in 2014, the For- long-haul steer tire, which debuted in tread design helps strengthen tread 295/75R22.5 with other sizes becom- quirements set for 2021. titude HT offers an optimized tread June, has provided eet owners up to block rigidity while minimizing irreg- ing available in June. The LHS provides 18/32nds-inch 210,000 miles in original tread life. ular wear of the tire over its lifetime. Gary Schroeder, executive director of tread depth and features a wider According to Mahesh Kavaturu, The e3 WiDE TL21 is a wide-base of Cooper’s global truck and bus tire footprint than most steer tires on the Goodyear’s director of technology, trailer position tire, size 445/50R22.5, business, called the LHS the “ ag- market, up to a full inch in many cas- commercial tires, 13 eets have eval- designed for high-mileage applica- ship” product of his company’s comes, Cooper said. Mr. Schroeder noted uated the tire, logging more than 13 tions and which incorporates Han- mercial tire lineup. that the wider footprint provides bet- million combined miles. More than kook’s “Spiral-Coil” technology. “We purposefully created this tire ter traction while promoting longer, 200 eets are running the product. Both of the e3 products are Smart- to give eets what they are asking for more even wear without impacting The Endurance LHS is Smart- Way-veried. — a low cost of ownership solution rolling resistance. Way-veried and is a key part of to reduce tire program costs and im- To enhance even wear, the tire Goodyear’s Total Solution of prod- Michelin North America Inc. has a decoupling groove to mini- ucts, services and eet management introduced an all-weather tire for mize shoulder wear and features a Wrangler Fortitude HT tools. commercial truck and van use, the patent-pending stone-ejector design The tire features a wear-resistant Agilis CrossClimate, and a pair of with a stepped groove wall in the design, tough tread compound, full- tread compound; a dual-layer tread tread pattern. depth sipes and wide circumferential with uniform stiffness for slow, even Cooper also has built in its grooves to help reduce road noise, wear; rigid casing construction for a Wear Square visual tread-depth provide uniform wear and improve consistent footprint; and casing com- indicator on the tire’s shoulder tread life, Goodyear said. pounds for low rolling resistance. ribs. The indicator shows the “We listened to customer feedback “Long-haul eets are the biggest seg- tread depth through ve dif- and saw an opportunity to meet in- ment of the North American trucking ferent evolving image icons, creasing demand,” said Mike Dwyer, market,” Mr. Kavaturu said. “When it with the last one showing Goodyear’s chief customer ofcer, comes to tires, these companies mea- when the tire should be North America consumer. sure every mile. And they want to get Cooper PRO Series LHS pulled for retreading. The Goodyear is expanding the cur- as many miles as possible out of their tire investment, without sacricing other performance benets like fuel ef- Michelin Agilis CrossClimate LT ciency, even wear and traction.” (left) and C-Metric versions The Endurance LHS is available in four sizes — 295/75R22.5; 11R22.5; BFGoodrich-brand commercial truck 285/75R24.5; and 11R24.5 — in load tires, the Highway Control S and T. ranges G and H. Designed specically for ¾- and 1-ton pick-up trucks and vans used Hankook Tire America Corp. in commercial applications and the showcased tires made with its pro- increasingly popular European van prietary “Smartec TBR” technology, platforms, the Agilis CrossClimate which the rm described as a man- launches in the U.S. and Canada in ufacturing process that incorporates 16 LT- and ve C-metric sizes. an integrated package of ve key tire The targeted vehicles are used in performance factors: safety, mileage, local and parcel delivery eets, food anti-chip and cut, retreadability and and beverage and temperature-con- traction. trolled vehicles, telecom and utility The rst tire on the market built eets and trades, Michelin said. with this technology is the SmartFlex Adam Murphy, vice president of DL15, a long- and regional-haul drive B2B marketing for Michelin, called tire that offers improved fuel economy the Agilis CrossClimate Michelin’s performance thanks to an updated cen- “most durable” tire for heavy-duty Online tral rib and semi block tread pattern. light trucks and lighter commercial The new tire also features a pat- applications. Tire Market Data ented self-regenerating siping system “Through engineering and inno- that is designed to provide enhanced vation, Michelin has developed a tire & Information traction throughout the original tread’s that lasts longer under heavy loads, lifetime. and also offers shorter wet-stopping For pure statistics, facts and resource information, the distances and better snow traction Tire Business Data Store covers it all ... from market than other leading competitive com- profiles, tire shipments and global statistics to mercial tires,” Mr. Murphy said. dealership rankings, marketing groups, automotive service data, DOT codes, and much more. The light-truck sizes range from LT215/85R16 to LT285/60R20 for These special reports are for sale in convenient platforms such as the Ford F-Series statistical formats. Each market data file is in an Excel and Econoline, Chevrolet Express format which allows you to manipulate the information and Silverado, GMC Sierra, Dodge for your own reports and marketing presentations. Ram 2500 and Mercedes Sprinter. It Check out these tire market reports at the Data Store also will be available in ve C-Metric on TireBusiness.com/Data or contact Lori DiFrancesco sizes for the Ford Transit, Ram Pro- at 330-865-6121 or [email protected]. Master and Nissan NV200. Among the tire’s features are: Hankook Smart Flex DL15 SEE TIRES, PAGE 24 tirebusiness.com TIRE BUSINESS seeks your help in nominating an independent Support material is important to the nomination and must include: tire dealer or retreader who, during the past year, has made sig- • A detailed explanation of the charitable organization(s) or public ni cant contributions to the betterment of his or her community service activity(ies) in which the nominee is involved. through charitable or public service work. The person selected as • The breadth and depth of the nominee’s involvement in charitable the winner will have demonstrated an unsel sh commitment to the and/or public service activities. betterment of others. • The impact the nominee has had on the charitable and/or public service activity. Nominations will be judged by an independent committee outside • Support materials such as newspaper clippings, photographs, of the tire industry. The winner will receive the Tire Dealer Human- letters of commendations and previous awards. itarian Award Medal and a $2,500 donation to the charity of his or her choice. The award will be presented during the 2019 Tire Indus- try Association convention/SEMA Show Nov. 4, in Las Vegas. Nominate an independent tire dealer or retreader who is making a difference in his or her community. The award is open to any independent tire dealer or retreader in North America, regardless of business size or sales volume. Nomi- Go online to submit your nomination form: nees must have an ownership in the business. Self nominations are welcome. Nominators are encouraged to renominate candidates www.tirebusiness.com/humanitarian if they are not past winners. To enter your nominee, complete the online nomination form, upload detailed support material and mail as soon as possible. 2017 2018

Kent Olsen Mark Smith Olson Tire & Auto Service Midas of Richmond Wausau, Wisc. Richmond, Va. Entry deadline July 31, 2019 24 • April 15, 2019, TIRE BUSINESS Visit us on the web at www.tirebusiness.com Tire Business Special Feature CommercialTire&RetreadingReport FlexiVan President and CEO quired Northwest Retreaders of Gresh- to eight locations and three retread oil change and preventive mainte- Commercial Charlie Wellins noted that his com- am, Ore., in a move that effectively plants in three states. nance network in the U.S. Speedco CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10 pany had a “strong vendor part- doubled Purcell’s OTR tire retread- Quality Tire already was a Mi- expanded its tire brand offerings into lo- for a long time, including being an nership” with New Pride for years ing capacity and strengthened its chelin dealer and Oliver Rubber-af- cations nationwide in 2018 to include Ae- MRT af liate since 1998. Its plant and sees the acquisition as a way of still burgeoning position in the Pa- liated retreader. olus, Bridgestone, BFGoodrich, Dayton, in Omaha is one of only a few hy- “building greater value for our cus- c i c N o r t h w e s t . These deals covered the last re- Goodyear, Kelly, Michelin and Yokoha- brid MRT plants — mold-cure and tomers and FlexiVan. ” The deal involved Northwest Re- maining assets of a commercial tire ma new tires along with Love’s in-house- precure production together — in FlexiVan said the New Pride man- treaders’ assets only, Purcell said, sales entity that at its peak com- sourced retreads. the Midwest. agement team would continue to run meaning the retreader’s parent comprised more than 125 service loca- Love’s established a network of Bauer Built, founded in 1944 by the day-to-day operations of Oakland, pany, NRI Inc., continues to operate tions and 17 retread plants. four Oliver Rubber-af liated retread G.F. “Sam” Bauer, celebrates its Calif. -based New Pride as a wholly its new tire wholesale business un- Meanwhile, the nation’s leading plants in 2016 throughout the U.S. 75th anniversary this year. The orig- owned subsidiary of FlexiVan. der that name. truck stop operators — Love’s Trav- as part of its tire supply strategy. inal business was in bulk petroleum, Financial terms were not dis- el Stops, TravelCenters of America TravelCenters of America, which but the company began selling tires closed. and Pilot Travel Centers — continue launched an aggressive commercial and related services a year later. Established in 1983 as a subsid- to step up their tire-related activities tire supply program in 2017, extend- The company continues to operate iary of a South Korean diversi ed as revenue streams. ed the scope of that program with a bulk petroleum business out of its company, New Pride has focused on Love’s Travel Stops, for example, the opening of its own retread plant. headquarters in Durand. supplying new and retreaded tires is planning to open 40 Travel Stops The company’s rst plant, which Other deals of the past year include: for the intermodal transportation in- this year — including more than 30 opened in July, is a Goodyear system • Best One Tire & Service took dustry in North and Central Amer- that will have a Love’s Truck Tire facility in Bowling Green, Ohio, that over nine former Becker Tire loca- ica. The company’s precured and Care or Speedco unit on site — ex- serves as a test bed for TA to monitor tions in Kansas and has converted panding the truck stop operator’s as it considers expanding retreading them to Best One Tire signage. network to 500-plus locations. as part of its business model. • Rice Tire Co. acquired Central “We aim to surpass our customers’ The 32,000-sq.-ft. plant, a reno- Tire Co. of Verona, Va., expanding The past year also witnessed the needs and are dedicated to improv- vated facility that has housed two its reach to 11 commercial/retail lo- disappearance of TCi Tire Centers ing the lives of professional drivers,” other retreaders over the past sever- Inc. as a player in the commercial Co-CEO Greg Love said earlier this al years, opened with a ve-day-a- mold-cure retread plant in Rancho tire/retreading sector. year, noting the new locations will week, one-shift schedule capable of Cucamonga, Calif., is rated at 300 A business unit of Michelin North provide more than 3,000 truck park- producing 115 tires per day initially. tires a day. America Inc., TCi sold the last of its ing spaces. The facility also has a 20,000-sq.- New Pride operates tire mount- commercial assets — ve sales/ser- Love’s did not disclose its pro- ft. warehouse on site and offers new ing and distribution activities at its vice outlets and one retread plant in jected investment for the expansion, tire sales, tire inspection/repair and headquarters in Oakland and in Ke- California — last October to Border which follows the opening of 35 lo- emergency roadside call services. nilworth, N.J. Tire of El Paso, Texas. Pilot Travel Centers L.L.C. has FlexiVan and New Pride Tire are That deal expanded Border Tire’s launched a virtual maintenance system cations in Maryland, Virginia and both owned by Castle & Cooke Inc., footprint — which up to then had through its Pilot Flying J travel centers Washington, D.C. and two retread a Westlake, Calif.-based diversi ed comprised ve commercial locations for truck owners and eets as part of its plants. Central Tire consists of a re- in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas “Truck Care” service platform. tail store, a commercial store and a and an Oliver system retread plant — The system, dubbed “Fleet Center,” retread plant that services customers into California. The deal covers TCi provides eets real-time visibility and throughout Virginia and into parts commercial sales/service locations in exibility to manage their equipment of Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Bakers eld, Van Nuys, Fontana, San- 24/7 — thus reducing downtime, in- West Virginia and Washington, D.C. ta Fe Springs and Lakeside, Calif., and creasing speed of service and improv- (See separate story on page 11.) an MRT plant in Fontana. ing account management for eets and • Intermodal retreader New Pride Earlier in the year Quality Tire professional drivers, according to the Corp. was acquired by last year by Co. of Salt Lake City acquired TCi company. Intermodal chassis leasing company locations in Colorado Springs, Hen- cations in 2018. The system also allows Truck FlexiVan Leasing Inc., which sees derson and Loveland, Colo., and Since Love’s acquired Speedco in Care technicians to focus on provid- the retread business as complemen- holding company. an MRT plant in Hudson, Colo., 2017, Speedco began offering tire and ing faster service to get drivers back tary to its own. • Purcell Tire & Rubber Co. ac- expanding the dealership’s reach lube services, making it the largest on the road. (See story on page 21.)

product range, Michelin said. The M655 all-weather tire will be Both tires — 712L long-haul drive Tires The Control S launches in sizes available in sizes 225/70R19.5 14-ply and 114R UWB regional haul — are CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22 11R22.5 and 11R24.5 (Load Range and 245/70R19.5 16-ply. SmartWay-veri ed low-resistance prod- durability over extended mileage; towing G and H), 275/80R22.5 (Load Range ucts and are considered long lasting and and hauling heavy loads; improved G), and 285/80R24.5 (Load Range Vipal Rubber showcased its fuel ef cient, Yokohama said. protection from impacts and punc- G), while the Control T is offered in VL130 ECO tread, a line with low The 712L, which will be man- tures; and all-weather performance. sizes 11R22.5, 275/80R22.5, 11R24.5 rolling resistance and low heat gen- ufactured at Yokohama’s plant in The C-Metric tire has a direction- and 285/75R24.5 (Load Range G). eration and SmartWay veri ed un- West Point, Miss., is available in al tread design, while the LT-metric The products’ features include new der U.S. Environmental Protection four sizes: 295/75R22.5, 11R22.5, uses a non-directional tread pattern, sidewall compounds designed to Agency guidelines. 285/75R24.5 and 11R24.5. Michelin said. provide fuel ef ciency without sac- The company also featured its The 114R UWB is the successor to Both versions carry the “Three ri cing wear; improved shoulder rib Toyo M655 VT220 line for medium- and long-dis- the RY407 UWB and will be available Peak Mountain Snow ake” designa- with microsipes; optimized micro- use in mixed-service regional appli- tance highway applications. Produced later in the year in size 445/50R22.5. tion from the U.S. Tire Manufactur- siping to ght the onset of irregular cations. with a compound for operating in low Tom Clauer, Yokohama’s senior ers Association, indicating they meet treadwear; serpentine ow-through Suitable for both drive and steer ap- temperatures, the VT220 is suitable manager of commercial and OTR grooves for improved water evacua- plications, it includes the North Amer- for muddy and snowy conditions, product planning, said the 712L’s tion and all-weather traction; and vari- ican industry’s Three-Peak Mountain Vipal said. deep tread “offers advanced wear able-groove wall to help reduce stone Snow ake symbol on its sidewall in- resistance, top-tier fuel-ef ciency retention and extend the casing life. dicating its ability to perform in snow Yokohama Tire Corp. is adding and traction, and tough, durable con- Michelin is offering and ice. a deep-tread drive-axle tire and a re- struction. It’s designed for eets to a “Work Hard” Already available in Canada, the gional haul trailer tire to its commer- keep their trucks rolling for a long, mileage-satis- M655 offers on- and off-road per- cial tire portfolio. long time.” faction guar- formance thanks to a wide tread and antee for the “aggressive” tread blocks with multi- rst year of use wave sipes to optimize traction. The on the Highway tread design features saddle notches BFGoodrich Highway Control S Control S tire, a and stone ejectors to help support two-year, even-wear the blocks to retain overall stiffness, the tire industry’s requirements for satisfaction guarantee on the Con- while evacuating potentially harmful severe snow service. trol T and a ve-year, two-retread stones and debris. A cut- and chip-re- The BFGoodrich Highway Control manufacturer’s limited casing guar- sistant tread compound and built-in S and T are designed for use in long- antee on both tires when retreaded sidewall protector add to the tire’s haul, tanker, refrigerated and dry-van by an authorized Michelin Retread durability. truckload applications. Technologies or Oliver Retread dealer. It is designed and manufactured at The SmartWay-veri ed BFG High- Toyo’s plant in Kuwana, Japan, using way Control S (steer/all-position) and Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. is adding the rm’s proprietary “e-balance” T (trailer) replace the BFGoodrich ST an all-weather medium truck tire, the casing technology for greater stabil- 244 and TR 144 in the BFGoodrich M655, to its portfolio for year-round ity and longevity under heavy loads. Yokohama 712L Visit us on the web at www.tirebusiness.com TIRE BUSINESS, April 15, 2019 • 25

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In terms of growing the franchise network, ness declined to comment on pricing or OK Mr. Rutherford said OK Tire management for Duties didn’t return calls. Some wholesalers said CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 the most part does it the old-fashioned way — CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 they’d seen notices of increases up to 30 locations with an expanded line of tires and au- studying the market and singling out businesses antidumping — will affect imports from percent. tomotive products.” and business owners they feel will help strength- China. One company that did respond was The group’s plan to build a more robust on- en the network. It should be noted that the USTMA China Manufacturers Alliance L.L.C. line platform will open a range The majority of new OK Tire reports reect the domestic industry’s (CMA), which distributes the Double of possibilities in e-commerce, franchisees are existing inde- thoughts on shipments, not demand, which Coin brand. According to CMA Vice Mr. Caldwell said. pendent dealers, Mr. Rutherford is affected by a spectrum of inuences. President Walt Weller, his company — The new online presence will said, and a measurable number According to various sources, truck- which received one of the lowest import allow customers to buy “any- of these are referrals from existing activity is expected to keep pace with, duties and which is importing more and thing about a car, in a car, on a ing OK Tire dealers. The com- if not exceed, that of 2018, which accord- more from Thailand — has announced a car or under a car” at oktire.com, he said, noting pany is starting to see more “institutional” inves- ing to American Trucking Associations 5-percent price increase. this should appeal both to do-it-yourselfers and tors as well, he added, who are evaluating which (ATA) data was 6.6 percent ahead of 2017. One segment of the industry that wel- traditional in-store OK Tire customers. franchise businesses provide the best returns. The ATA noted, however, that the pace of comed the increased import duties was This strategy will include an expanded port- Most OK Tire franchisees are smaller busi- growth started slowing in the fourth quarter the retreading community, which has folio of automotive-related products available nesses — one to two stores — that are realizing and has been up and down so far in 2018. complained for the past few years about through the e-commerce they don’t have the resources to devote to staying According to the ATA, trucks moved the detrimental effect low-priced new im- portal, he added. “People competitive in today’s evolving marketplace. 10.8 billion tons of freight in 2017, gen- ported tires has on retreading. are buying these kinds of Recruiting efforts will focus heavily on On- erating $700 billion in annual revenue. According to Retread Instead — the products on-line today, … tario and Quebec, executives said, which are the The U.S. trucking industry employs 3.5 U.S. retreading advocacy group — the we want to give them the op- most populous provinces and where they see million drivers and 4.2 million more in imposition of the new duties “will funda- portunity to buy from oktire. room to expand. related jobs. mentally change the supply side of new com.” Mr. Caldwell also remarked that the rm will Another indicator of freight growth is tires in the U.S. and over the next two Local dealers will be cred- consider building its network through “acquisi- registrations of new vehicles. According years” and hasten a return to an improved ited with sales completed on- tions that complement our existing network” as to IHS Markit, registrations of Class 8 ve- ratio of retreads to new tires sold and put line, he stressed. part of the strategy to add value and pro tability. hicles are expected to rise about 8 percent into service in the U.S. One key element of im- Rutherford In addition, OK Tire has begun offering its this year over 2018. (See more detailed Because of tariffs, the group said, there proving the brand’s digital presence, Mr. Ruth- customers a warranty that provides coverage in story on page 21.) is more opportunity to grow than there erford said, is to automate a lot of the business the U.S. as well as Canada on certain types of An early indicator of how prices might has been in years. functions of running a dealership, thus freeing work done at OK Tire franchises. be affected could be Bridgestone Amer- “We are encouraging retreaders to ‘get up time for the individual dealers to spend deal- The new warranty — available at no cost to icas Tire Operations’ decision to raise back to the basics’ and promote total tire ing with their customers. the customer — provides coverage for 12 months prices on all Dayton-brand truck and bus management programs to eets by con- Among the features will be a more comprehen- or 12,400 miles, whichever comes rst. Custom- radial tires sold in the U.S. by 20 percent, ducting eet inspections, out-of-service sive on-line scheduling function. ers who experience a problem can call a helpline effective March 5. tire analysis and recommending good sol- Among the speci c physical improvement are: and be directed to the closest authorized repair Bridgestone said the price change is id tire management policies for eets that • expanding a distribution center in Valley- facility. in response to increased business costs includes managing total tire life to receive eld, Quebec, to 200,000 square feet by mid- If the customer is within 25 miles of the OK and other market dynamics. Bridgestone maximum bene ts,” the organization said. 2020; Tire location that performed the service, he or sources most of the Dayton-brand product With the tariffs in place, the retreading • relocating centers in Manitoba and in New- she must rst contact that store and present a from China. industry hopes to see increased supplies foundland to larger, more modern facilities; copy of the repair order. If the vehicle is inop- Bridgestone raised prices on Dayton of better quality truck tires that will be • opening a warehouse near Mississauga, On- erable and is more than 25 miles away from the truck and bus tires sold in the U.S. and more repairable and retreadable, deliver- tario, that will be operational by 2021. original OK Tire facility (either in Canada or the Canada last September by 10 percent. ing lower total life-cycle cost and reduc- These are in addition to a project that doubled U.S.), the customer may be eligible for certain Most companies importing/distributing ing the negative impact on the environ- the size of a warehouse in Calgary last year. towing and/or rental car bene ts. Chinese truck tires contacted by Tire Busi- ment.

• Strengthen vendor partnerships. The mar- Tire Pros keting group released several new products as Exxpress CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 well as an exclusive promotion plan with long- CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 said are designed to increase traf c to fran- time partner Continental Tire the Americas. As the Exxpress Tire wholesale operation has chisees. In addition, Tire Pros detailed an exclusive grown and surpassed 1 million tires in yearly • The debut of consumer tools designed to new program for franchisees, the Tire Pros shipments, the company hired its rst full-time help franchisees connect with their consumers. Edge Program driven by Cooper Tires. logistics and distribution executive in October. The Tire Pros marketing team, along with the According to Tire Pros, franchisees will John Judge, supply chain director, has 25 years Mission Based Council (MBC), said the plat- have the opportunity to earn multiple proof logistics experience in the U.S. Air Force and form allows franchisees to manage and engage gram and promotional bene ts on their continues his service as a lieutenant colonel in the Tire Business photos by Dave Zielasko with online reviews, uses text messaging to Cooper- and select Hercules-brand purchas- National Guard. In addition, he spent 10 years at Will Cavendish, left, of Bridgestone Americas Tire communicate with customers and receive in- es under this program. Praxair Inc. in logistics and supply chain. Operations, and his wife, Barb, far right, visit with sights about consumers’ experiences through Tire Pros also highlighted some dealers who “Logistics and distribution can be a lot more Dave Simons, Dunn Tire executive vice president an integrated Net Promoter Score module. were extremely successful in the previous year. successful if there is a little more science put into and CFO, his wife Elizabeth, and Dunn Tire Supply • The relaunch of TirePros.com, featuring Some of the key awards presented during the it and a little more study and planning and train- Chain Director John Judge at a wine pairing social full e-commerce capabilities. The website will conference awards breakfast included: ing put into it, and so we really wanted to have event during the 2019 Dunn Tire Dealer Trip. be launching in the third quarter, with new deal- y Big Discount Tire Pros of Fair eld, somebody spending full time on that side of the er pages that the group said will enhance what Calif. — Hercules Tires Strongman of the business,” David Simons, Dunn Tire executive currently is being used. Each facility will have Year Award; vice president and CFO, said. the ability to personalize its location’s site to be yyCarson City Tire Pros of Carson City, To get the most out of its warehouses, the company matched to its community and region. Consum- Nev. — Continental Tires Rookie of the Year has gone to stacking tires four tiers high, the execu- ers who purchase tires will be able to set ap- Award; and tives said. “We are gearing up for an even better busi- pointments online, creating what the group said y Van’s Tire Pros of North Ridgeville, ness in 2019 than we had in 2018,” Mr. Clave said. is a “simple, hassle-free buying experience.” Ohio — Synchrony Rookie of the Year While Exxpress Tire has no current plans for a • Revamp Tire Pros University. Tire Pros Award. new warehouse or an expansion to current facilities, execs told dealers that a revamp of the plat- Steven Moss, chairman of the Tire Pros “we know we need to have a bigger and better build- form is coming in 2019, including a learning National Dealer Council and owner of Wil- ing in Syracuse and a new, bigger building in Erie, Diadra Lewis, second from left, of Continental Tire and development tool that was developed and son Tires Pros & Automotive in Elon Col- Pa.,” Mr. Simons said. Those are probably a couple the Americas, and friend Denly Lettsome, left, visit delivered in partnership with the Training lege, N.C., said everyone works together of years down the road, he added. with Jodi and Paul Pittner of Dunn Tire during the Mission-Based Council. The platform will “day in and day out to make the Tire Pros The company has the ability to expand in wine tasting social event. be available free to all franchisees, Tire Pros organization better. For a franchise program Rochester, he said, “if some things fall our way.” laptops, tablets and smartphones, Mr. Clave said, said, making it easier for dealers to attract to work well, it must be a partnership with a “What we’re trying to do is gure out what our “and will become the company’s primary com- and retain quality employees. common set of objectives. absolute maximum capacity is to get tires in and munications tool.” The micro-learning tool will allow fran- “One of the resounding themes I’ve heard out per building, whether we had it shipped, wheth- Talking briey about the Exxpress Tire Car chisees and employees to be more compet- at this conference is (that) we’re all family,” er we changed hours or do different things,” Mr. Care Centers dealer marketing program, Mr. itive in an industry where the labor market Mr. Moss said. “When we work together, we Pittner said. “We’re guring out what the maxi- Clave said the company has reduced the cost of has become even more challenging, accord- can win together.” mum capacity to handle per day in the building is.” social media marketing, making it a silver level ing to the marketing group. More than 50 vendors, representing mar- After experiencing some technical challeng- enhancement from gold. The move is aimed at • Use the Pros Partnership Analysis as part of keting, auto parts, technology, tire manufac- es in 2018, Exxpress Tire expects to debut a re- helping smaller independent tire dealers create its pro t-maximizing tools. During 2019, Tire turers, tools and supply products, participat- vamped website in 2019’s second quarter. A key top-of-mind visibility in their local markets. Pros retail account managers will collaborate ed in the annual vendor fair. feature will be the site’s ability to provide the “Some of us are technically averse, social me- with franchisees to analyze key metrics in their Recently, ATD announced that nine inde- delivery date, once an order is placed. dia averse,” Mr. Clave said. “This is a requisite business and identify areas of focus to enhance pendent tire dealers in nine states joined Tire The new website will offer improved naviga- (today). We can no longer ignore social media pro tability. Each participating franchisee will Pros over the past few months. At that time, tion, the ability to communicate news, events and think, ‘Yeah, well that is this generation.’ receive these business metrics several times per Tire Pros said it had more than 640 locations and other content better, as well as enhanced “Now this is us,” he said. “And in many cases, year. across the U.S. searchability. The website will be compatible on it’s our parents.”